Hōseki No Ko
by Karnia
Summary: <html><head></head>Obedience. The mark burns into her skin every time he utters his next move. She can't fight him, so she needs someone to fight for her. Itachi Uchiha X OC X Sasuke Uchiha Sequel to Hebi No Ko.</html>
1. The First Passage

_**H**__ō__**seki No Ko **_

_**The First Passage:**_

His footsteps felt heavy as he walked into the gates of the Sound Village. Dusk's pale light flooded through the dense trees and gave the village an odd sense of peace; it was strange for him to see, he had always thought of the Sound to be his enemy. However, now that he was standing there inside of the small village, it didn't seem nearly as ominous as it was made out to be by his former colleges.

"Sasuke, welcome." Sasuke blinked and looked away from the forest that seemed to be made mostly out of evergreens and into the eyes of a white haired youth.

"So it's you…"

"I never did have time to reveal my identity," Kabuto said as he pushed up his glasses. "However, from this moment on, I am your fellow Sound Shinobi."

"Che…" Kabuto smirked.

"I think you and I are going to get along greatly. You don't seem like the ask-questions type." Sasuke didn't respond, but again focused his eyes on the little village. "Yes, we're a small village, however, we have some very power shinobi. Orochimaru's successor lives here as well, and she is not a force to be reckoned with."

"Successor?" Sasuke muttered as he looked back up at Kabuto. Again, Kabuto smirked, as if knowing something Sasuke didn't.

"Yes, she's the leader's right-hand shinobi." Sasuke let out a sigh and looked somewhere else; a clear sign of dismissing the topic, so Kabuto changed it. "Let's go meet with Orochimaru. I'm sure that he is longing to see you again."

"I'm only here for power, understand?" Sasuke asked with a light glare; he realised that glaring would probably become somewhat of a normal expression for him. From his first impression, he could already tell that Kabuto would be hanging around a lot, and something just whispered to him that the man would be a troublesome annoyance.

…

It only took Sasuke two weeks to map out every corner of the Sound village. However, for some reason, Orochimaru insisted that six months later, he be given an official tour of the village by Kabuto; why this was necessary was beyond him, but he had a suspicion that Orochimaru wanted Kabuto to keep him busy for some reason.

"Kabuto, just leave me be."

"Sorry Sasuke, I can't do that, but I can let you off of this tour. Would you like to go to the training grounds and spar?"

"Hn."

"That sounds fine then, come on." Sasuke followed as he inwardly sighed. However, his interests were peaked when they arrived at the training grounds. In the center of the field, a girl fought Orochimaru. She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen according to her hip and bust size, but what was strange was the creamy-white blindfold over her eyes. He could tell they were practicing Taijutsu, and saw that she was actually holding up against Orochimaru, though it wasn't much to be praised for because Orochimaru was more of the slow-combat type. She was wearing just tight black shorts and a black tank top. When he saw her next to his teacher, he noticed they were obviously related because of their pale skin and dark hair, even though hers was a lot more lustrous than his.

"We should go," Kabuto said as he turned around.

"Who is she?" Sasuke inquired, though he didn't move from his spot.

"She is the Hebiko…Orochimaru's successor." Sasuke let out a dismissive noise and then turned around. Kabuto couldn't help but smirk as they continue walking away from the scene.

…

Hikari completely resented Sasuke by the time a year had passed. Her feelings had become bitter, twisting her logic and her rational thinking of the past; she felt that Sasuke didn't need to do the things he did, and resented that he would go to the very person who had hurt her for so many years for power. Even if this power would help him kill Itachi, she didn't feel that he should willingly take it, she knew that he could have gained the same kind of power in Konoha. However, he was impatient and didn't want to wait, and that's what she resented most.

Hikari walked into the underground training room without coming across anyone, this made her very happy seeing as these areas were strictly off limits; she wouldn't be bothered when trying to increase her own strength. At first, training with a blindfold had been hell. She stumbled and lost every spar she had for six months straight, however, once she got the hang of relying purely on sound, her Taijutsu skills slowly began to increase; this pleased her immensely. Hikari took off the deep crimson sleeveless knee-length jacket, that laced in the front like a corset, she wore over her loose fitting creamy white shirt and tossed it to the ground; she didn't feel like getting the fabric sweaty and dirty. Next, she took off the loose fitting shirt and had nothing on but her mesh shirt and the black bra she wore underneath; this was something she regularly did for training. She still wore a skirt, but it wasn't like a miniskirt anymore, it didn't frill out at the ends and instead of it being white, it was also deep crimson in colour. The Capri's she wore were made out of stretchy ink-black fabric and hugged her legs very tightly. Once she was satisfied with her clothing she took a pair of chopsticks and threw her very long hair into a sloppy bun, all of her bangs sweeping to the side and framing her face with silky black tresses. If only her aubergine eyes were visible to match. Hikari rolled her shoulders and then walked over to the wooden practice post, starting to threw her fists forwards as she went through her usual routine.

…

Sasuke didn't know why the person know as the 'Hebiko' interested him so much, but there was something about her that made him follow her. Over the past year she had done little things that made him want to figure her out; mostly things that seemed familiar, yet distant. He realised that he was very curious as to what colour her eyes were. He wondered about the possibility of them being amber, like Orochimaru's, or some other exotic colour. Without warrant, lustrous violet eyes invaded his mind, and he remembered the smiling face of the most important person back in Konoha; he suddenly felt like he was betraying her by being so curious about this girl named the Hebiko. However, he knew Hikari was someone who would never forgive him, and that was one of the things he tried to avoid. Perhaps this Hebiko girl was a way of forgetting. His thoughts brought up self loathing so fast that he didn't realise he had been hit by it until the damage was already done. However, no matter how much he hated himself, he didn't stop following the Hebiko through the winding hallways of Orochimaru's layer. He wasn't really sure where she was going, mainly because this portion of the hideout was restricted, and he had never really had any interests in it. Eventually, she stopped and did something that was very reminiscent of looking around her, but he knew better than that; she was listening to her environment. He wondered if she had heard him at some point even though he had taken extra caution not to be heard by her. He felt tension leave him when she continued walking into one of the rooms. He silently slipped through the door behind her, careful not to disturb the air around her or make any noise to give away his presence to her. She didn't falter when he passed through the door, just continued into the center of the room. Sasuke suddenly felt another awkward tension when she started removing her clothing, but it wasn't a tension of fear, but one of lust; he couldn't deny her beauty. By now, he was really letting the thought of using the Hebiko to forget Hikari creep into his mind; he had never been so haunted by any other person but his brother,

and he didn't like that Hikari was now on his mind almost as much as his brother. He looked at her body, covered by nothing but a few garments. Again, Hikari came into his head, the time he had first really laid eyes on here; she too, was beautiful beyond comparison. He turned to leave, deciding against getting involved with the daughter of his teacher. He was used to getting whatever he wanted, but he felt this might be going too far. He just wasn't willing to admit that his heart was sick with memories more than any other disturbing facts he knew about the Hebiko. He sighed and lifted his hand to the door knob but suddenly stopped when he heard the alarming cry of her voice. He turned around and saw that she was attacking the wooden post. Her voice vibrated throughout the room and was somewhat familiar to him, almost as he had heard her once very long ago. He discarded the thought and assumed he must of heard her one of the times he had seen her sparring with Orochimaru; he never really did stick around long enough to memorise her voice, so this theory made sense to him. As he watched her lilith body attack the post, he found that he was compelled to get closer to her. He took slow steps towards her and watched as she lifted her leg into a high kick and broke the wooden post. She swore lightly, and then scowled. He thought she would be more like Orochimaru in the way she spoke and moved, but he was surprised to see her individuality shine. It was something that he imagined would be hard to keep when no one even knew her real name. Suddenly a force came over him, and he moved towards her so fast that it didn't even register. She threw a punch towards the air, now practicing stances, but he caught it. The Hebiko frowned as she looked up towards where he was. He wondered if she was blind for a brief moment, and then cast the thought away.

"Get lost," she demanded as she yanked her fist away. Sasuke blinked, but then let a small smirk pass his lips.

"Make me." The Hebiko growled, and then initiated he fight, throwing a kick towards his shoulder, which he blocked with his forearms formed into a 'x' shape. He was surprised she could kick that high, seeing as the top of her head only came to his eyebrows. A throaty growl passed through her lips as she lowered her leg slowly. Sasuke wondered briefly of what she was doing, but then had to make quick effort to block the open palmed jab towards his chest. He grabbed her wrist and then pushed her away from him. She tumbled backwards, and began to fall. Sasuke was surprised she wasn't ready for a serious attack, but despite this he quickly jerked his body into motion and then caught her before she hit the ground. His brow quirked when he saw her lips lift into a pompous smirk. The Hebiko reached for his arm, and then used his leaning weight against him to flip him behind her, and herself too; however, she used him as a balancing means and landed behind him, while he spun to land on his feet.

"That was dirty," he stated with a frown. Sasuke stood at full height and then advanced on her; he expected her to attack him, but he was shocked when he saw her step backwards towards the corner of the room, she was afraid of him which struck him as odd. He suddenly felt an overwhelming sensation to ease his curiosity and see the entirety of her face; he wanted to see what her eyes looked like behind her choppy black bangs. He walked her into a corner and then put both hands next to her head, trapping her with his body. He heard her breath hitch, and he was suddenly attacked with a feeling of familiarity from her mannerisms. Again, she was so similar to Hikari. He could imagine the sparkling aubergine eyes behind the blindfold swimming with suspense and longing with his closeness; Hikari would have been anticipating his kiss. Suddenly, he couldn't resist temptation. He reached around her head and lightly pulled on the hanging thread from the knot, feeling it come free. The blindfold slide from her face and hit the floor soundlessly. His insides clenched and he swallowed his shock whole. The aubergine eyes reflecting the torchlight of the walls were no trick of the mind or re-enactment of memory, they were too different from the way they'd used to be for that to be the case.

"Hikari…" Hikari's eyes swam not with anticipation, but regret, and uncertainty. Hikari swallowed and stood utterly still. Sasuke couldn't help himself, despite trying to push down everything he felt for her for the past year, he missed her above everything else and now all the small pieces that had once been a mystery to him were falling into place. He couldn't take seeing her body in action and being this close now, however, he stopped himself, for the time being, from advancing on her because of how hollow her eyes looked. He suddenly understood why she had been so cold to him that day, and now that he realised just who he was getting power from; he didn't really blame her when he thought about it. Sasuke leaned forwards and touched his forehead to hers and also brought his fingertips to her cheeks, feeling them as he did the night he left Konoha. He was trying to not only comfort her, but himself too. Now that he was right in front of her, his longing swelled within. He hadn't realised how much he missed the softness of her skin until he was touching it again, and suddenly, he didn't want to let go. Cupping both cheeks he leaned forwards to kiss, her something he had been wanting to do, but was stopped in his tracks with a sharp pain stinging the side of his face. He blinked and turned his head back towards hers and saw tears sparkling in her eyes; why was she crying? Hikari suddenly pushed him away from her and then ducked under his arm. She jogged towards her clothes and then scooped them up, heading towards the door.

"Wait! Hikari!" Hikari turned back at him with a snarl curling her lips.

"Don't say another word." Sasuke bit back his words and watched her slip out of the room with longing eyes. He realised something utterly new in that moment; now that she was back, he wasn't going to let her go again.


	2. The Second Passage

_**The Second Passage:**_

Grey skies hovered over Konoha with a menacing atmosphere as rain poured down from the heavens. It was so very easy for Madara Uchiha to slip into the village without being noticed, he just used a basic disguise Jutsu. It was also easy for him to find the Hayate residence without much effort either, he just asked a low levelled shinobi on patrolling duty which way to go. With this move, he knew he would win the game of chess he had set up; all he had to do was move this last pawn into position and he would force Hikari Koizumi into checkmate and into his submission. The old Uchiha had grown rather good at controlling people with their loved ones, and knew he could kill two birds with one stone. It also was easy to find the boy he was looking for; he sat on a bench drenched to the bone feeling sorry for himself.

"Are you Sora Hayate?" Madara whispered from behind the ebony haired boy. Sora's back went rigid as he slightly turned his head to peek over his shoulder.

"Who wants to know?"

"Someone who can help," Madara cooed with a light smirk playing on his lips. "Someone who knows your pain."

"My pain? Bug off."

"Are you really that closed off to my help? I know how to make it all feel alright. I know what she did to you." Sora's eyebrow twitched as he turned to face Madara.

"What do you want?"

"All I want is for you to become my puppet," Madara suggested with a shrug. "That's all it will cost for you to get your revenge on her."

"Revenge?" Sora asked softly.

"Isn't that what you want?" Madara asked with another smirk. "She hurt you, it's only fair." Sora looked away from him. "When you do it, you will feel whole." Sora blinked and started to let his mind wander; revenge, it sounded like it would help, but at the same time he thought it would only leave him hollow. He imagined it would be like a quick bang of feeling good, and then disappear. However, the more Madara talked, the more he wanted to do as he was told. Hikari had hurt him, after all.

"What would you suggest I do?"

"Hurt her in the same way she hurt you. Take something away from her, something precious…"

"Something precious?" Sora asked slowly, as if seeing if he liked the taste of his words; so far, they were bittersweet. Madara smirked.

"Have you heard of a woman by the name of Midoriko Koizumi?"

…

Midoriko had never been an overly social person, she preferred to stick to the background and only walk into the spotlight when necessary. However, coming back to the Sound after being away on a two year mission felt great. She had just returned the night before and kind of enjoyed all of the quiet 'hello's she was getting from comrades. Midoriko was a rarity for her clan, being the only recorded member with pale blond hair. However, her eyes made up for the lack of Koizumi traits, they were a smouldering emerald that glittered in the sunlight. Her mother had named her correctly, she did look like the personification of a forest; hence the name 'forest child'. Despite Midoriko not resembling a Koizumi, in looks, she made her clan proud by proving to be a worth adversary to anyone who challenged her. Next to her generation's prodigy, she was the second most powerful Koizumi and she was even skilled enough to call herself a 'Kunoichi'.

When she was a child and first teamed up with Hikari under the orders of Shizuka Koizumi (probably the most renowned Koizumi who ever lived), she imagined the land gave quivers when it felt the sheer power the team emitted. Now that she was older, she understood that the land held dominance over anyone who relied on it for survival, but that didn't stop her from chuckling fondly at the memories. Midoriko's jewel-like eyes averted to the opposite wall of her room when she heard a soft knocking come from the other side of the door. The girl stood and walked to the other side of the room with a quirked brow. It was the afternoon and she had warned Kabuto not to let anyone bother her; he seemed to like annoying her, so it was probably him.

"Look, Kabuto, I'm kind of tired so if…" she trailed off when she took in the sight of who was in front of her. "Hikari? Is that you!" Midoriko launched herself into her friend's embrace. "I cannot believe you're back, I missed you so much!" Midoriko was slightly surprised when she saw a small genuine smile play onto Hikari's lips; a smile was a rarity, forget a _real_ one. Despite this, now that Midoriko looked at Hikari, she took in some new things about her. The first thing was the edgy chopped hairstyle Hikari had, though wasn't surprised to see how long the other girl's hair had gotten. The next was how empty Hikari seemed, and then Midoriko realised something was wrong. Her friend had lost weight, and the underside of her eyes had a slight purple shade from lack of sleep. Most of all though was the deadness of her eyes. Once so full of life and shone like a star, Hikari's eyes lacked lustre and stared back at her with an empty hollowness.

"Hello, Midori," Hikari uttered. "I've got some issues, but it's going to take some time for me to explain…"

"Oh?" Midoriko asked with a raised eyebrow. "Well, come in then. Does anyone know you're here?"

"No. I was training, I would assume Orochimaru still thinks I am there," Hikari said, with particular venom leaking from her tone when she said her father's name. That was another thing Midoriko wasn't used to, however, she did remember that it was starting to happen when Hikari was sent to the leaf village two years ago; she felt that was when Hikari started to resent her father. "That is, unless Kabuto or someone else has checked to see if I am there. I do hate the way he meddles…If I could, I'd kill that worm myself." Midoriko sighed.

"You do realise that sometimes violence doesn't have to be apart of the equation, right?" Midoriko let a fox like smile take her lips. "I suggest we poison him in his sleep." Hikari rolled her eyes and walked into the room, sitting down in the chair that went to Midoriko's desk. Midoriko shut the door and then walked to her bed, gracefully sitting down. "So, would you like to explain to me your adventures in Konoha? I heard you stirred up some real drama there."

"Well, I went there and found out that I wished I wasn't born into my family," Hikari said quietly. "Is a person evil if they're born into it and cannot escape?" Midoriko sighed.

"Are you asking me if you're evil?" Hikari didn't reply, so Midoriko continued. "Well, I wouldn't say anything's that black and white. I think a lot of us are here because we have to be…I don't think there's a single one of us, except Kabuto, who out rightly believes they're purely evil. I think a lot of us were pushed into this life. However, our actions speak louder than our words. Even though I work for the 'bad' side, I go out of my way not to kill innocents or commit unnecessary acts of cruelty. I'm simply working with who I need to work with. It doesn't make me evil." Hikari sighed.

"I just don't know anymore, Midori…" Hikari said quietly. "I feel different than I used to, I feel so…_damaged_…"

"Why don't you start with telling me what happened in Konoha? It seems to have to do with your current state," Midoriko suggested as she leaned back onto her bed until her back hit the wall.

"Well I met a couple of Koizumi there. One of them turned out to be my mother's brother. His name is Daisuke," Hikari informed. "He was fairly normal and he helped me understand a lot about myself. However, I also found out from him that my mother was raped by Orochimaru when she was bound to another man…" Midoriko's eyes widened.

"Oh my," Midoriko said quietly. "And were you born…Well, you know…"

"Yeah," Hikari confirmed with a sigh. "Yeah, that's what conceived me. I think it might be the reason why I am so messed up, all that negative energy. I suddenly appreciate my mother a lot more, but I wish she had tried to leave Orochimaru."

"Is this what has you so upset?" Midoriko asked in a cautious tone.

"Hardly," Hikari said with a bitter laugh. "I realise that I couldn't have helped that, however, I could have helped what happened in Konoha if it wasn't for my naïve perceptions of people.

"Oh…"

"I fell in love," Hikari admitted. Midoriko couldn't help but notice the regret laced into Hikari's voice. "With a boy named Sasuke…When I first met him, I thought he was amazing. He was so inspirational for me, because I realised he was taking his own fate into his hands and he made me understand I could do that too. So I followed his example and well, I was a completely different person for awhile." Midoriko smiled.

"You weren't different, you were yourself," Midoriko said in a firm tone. "Hikari, you shine when you're in love, you were probably the fun-loving girl I remember from my childhood. It's this place that has changed you…" Hikari blinked at her with dull eyes.

"Well, that's gone now. Even if this is my new self, or truly me, it is what I am today. I don't think I can let down all my barriers again. It hurt too much last time."

"Tell me more," Midoriko encouraged. "That way I can help."

"Well, Sasuke's had a rough past. Definitely worse off than me…"

"Uh, Hikari you were abu-"

"I know," Hikari snapped. "I know. Believe me, Sasuke watched all of his family die by his brother's hand. I hate to admit it myself, but he's worse off than me. Anyways, he is obsessed with killing his brother and it tore us apart. It's not that I didn't support it, it was that he left me behind. I would have crossed mountains for him, I would have done anything and he just severed his ties with me and basically said he had been using me to try and obtain a different kind of life. He also said he had been fooling himself. I realised that I fell in love with someone who never loved me back and it hurt. I still hurt. I pretty much told Orochimaru to fuck off so I could stay in Konoha with him and he just left me there without even telling me. He left a letter."

"A letter?" Midoriko asked with a frown. "You still have it, don't you?" Her tone was knowing, after all, she had only grown up with Hikari.

"I do, it's in my room," Hikari said quietly. "I couldn't throw it away. I felt like it was all I had left of him when I had to come back…"

"Do you still love him?"

"Even if I do, I can't get over what happened, at least, I don't think I am ready to. In all reality, I just want to forget him. However, he just had to come here for power to kill his brother." Midoriko blinked.

"He's _that_ Sasuke?" she asked with mild surprise. "I've only seen him a few times, but oh my, he's gorgeous!"

"I know," Hikari muttered quietly. "He always has been. He used to be boyishly cute though."

"I wouldn't say he's boyishly cute anymore, I would rather choose a more mature word-"

"Shut up, Midoriko," Hikari snapped. "We're not gushing about the boys in a high school hallway, Sasuke is the person who broke my heart. You're supposed to want to throttle him."

"Oh, I do. But can't I admire him?" Midoriko asked with a crooked smirk. Hikari sighed.

"There's more. The man my mother was betrothed to, he was an Uchiha as well…I know this is horrible of me, but I want to talk to the murderer of the Uchiha clan so I can know if Haruo is dead. I just want to know the man who my mother truly loved. The man I would have called my father if things hadn't of gone so wrong…" Hikari sighed. "Midori, I feel like I have no one. I just feel so thoroughly broken, like he took extra care to destroy me in all aspects. I feel hollow, I just don't want to live anymore. What's the point of living if there's nothing to live for? I have to face reality, I'm never going to have a future. I won't have a family. I will always remain my father's tool until the very end. I don't want to live like that Midori, I want out." Midoriko frowned.

"You can't ask me to help you with that," Midoriko said quietly. "I won't help you kill yourself, Hikari. I know that you can rise above this and finally take flight. They say you have to die to know how to live. Perhaps that's you. Life is precious, you shouldn't want to throw yours away." Hikari looked up at her friend.

"Then tell me how to live, because I don't know how to do it anymore…" Midoriko sighed.

"If I suggest this, you have to do it. No if, ands, or buts, ok?" Midoriko asked with a bright smile. "The two of us can make our world beautiful."

"Just tell me, because I'm already dead. I have nothing else, so I won't refuse. Right now I am nothing but a harbinger of chakra and power, I don't feel like a person and want that back again, I just don't know how to do it."

"Let's run," Midoriko said as she stood onto her feet and put her hand in front of Hikari. "Let's run to a Koizumi village and forget all of this. Orochimaru cannot hold us both down if we work together. We can run and never look back."

"You think so?" Hikari asked quietly.

"I know so, I've been planning this escape for five years, ever since he had you beaten. I couldn't stand seeing you so hurt and I can't stand seeing you now. You're empty and I think we can fix it. We'll go anywhere, anywhere but here."

Hikari sighed.

"When though?"

"We'll leave next week, when we go to shift hideouts. We'll escape then, and we'll never return." Midoriko grabbed her friend's hand. "I'll protect you, I promise."


	3. The Third Passage

The Third Passage:

"A spar?" Sasuke asked without any interest in the subject; any time Orochimaru set him up to spar against someone, he always proved better. There was no person who was actually challenging in the hide out. His mind was also preoccupied on Hikari, so he wasn't even in the mood to train; he just wanted to see her again.

"Yes, a spar," Orochimaru said with a smirk. "I feel you're ready to test yourself against this opponent, I wasn't sure until now. I've sent Kabuto to find her, so we're going to wait until then."

"_Maybe…No, would he really pin me against Hikari_?" Sasuke wondered as he looked towards the doors. He turned and leaned against one of the tall pillars of the room, waiting; that's all he could do. Orochimaru would have told him whom he was to fight by now if he was going to let him know. Sasuke became irritated, this was taking too long. He could be doing _real_ training instead of standing around waiting for some spoiled brat to make her way to the chamber. If it was Hikari, he knew this is something she might do just to spite him.

After another ten minutes, the doors finally creaked open and three people filtered into the room.

"My Lord, Midoriko has returned, so she came to watch the fight," Kabuto announced. Orochimaru smirked.

"Welcome back." Midoriko sighed as she tried her best to put up her best smile.

"Thank you, Lord Orochimaru." Midoriko crossed the room and stood a few steps away from Kabuto, a painfully obvious attempt to separate her and make it clear she didn't like him at the same time. Someone stood on the opposing side of Sasuke, completely masked by a cloak. Slender female hands made their way into the light and started to unbutton it, removing it from their person. As Sasuke had suspected, Hikari stood in front of him, blindfold and all.

"Hikari, remove the blindfold," Orochimaru ordered. "I want to see how you progressed without it."

"Yes," Hikari responded in a bland tone as she reached behind her head and untied the fabric, throwing it to the side with her cloak that lay in a twisted pile on the dirt floor. "Is this just a…friendly spar?" Hikari asked, slightly hesitating before choosing the word 'friendly'.

"Yes and no," Orochimaru said with a smirk. "You're to use your full arsenal; however, you're not to kill him." Orochimaru looked at Sasuke. "The same goes for you." Hikari blinked and then reached into her pouch behind her, pulling a pair of headphones from within.

"Oh, she must not like you very much," Midoriko commented. "I haven't seen her use those in years. She saves them for the people she wants to get rid of quickly."

"Comforting thought," Sasuke replied with sarcasm leaking from his voice. Hikari put them onto her head, and then turned notches on both ears. After becoming satisfied with their setting, Hikari bent into a fighting stance, getting ready to pounce.

"Begin!" Kabuto called.

Sasuke rushed forwards, drew his katana, and attacked her directly. Hikari smirked and clapped the palms of her hands flat against the blade once it came into reach, and then flipped it, and Sasuke, over her head and onto the ground. Hikari let go of the blade and then lightly stepped on Sasuke's chest, kneeling down so she was close enough to whisper.

"I'm going to destroy you."

"You're dead," Midoriko said with an impassive shrug. "Battle's already won, I haven't seen her become this fired up in a long time…" Hikari stood up straight and then walked away from Sasuke, her hair swishing as she walked. She reached down to her kunai pouch and then flicked the knife towards him. He was already gone before it hit the ground, grabbing onto her from behind and holding her against him. Another smirked possessed her lips. "Caught…" Hikari formed handsigns and suddenly a wall of water was rising around them from every direction.

"This trick?" Sasuke asked with a smirk present in his voice. With a flick of Hikari's wrist, the water started to spin around them, making loud swishing noises.

"Echo amplification technique," Hikari whispered as she performed another set of handsigns; she was suddenly very conscious of Sasuke's breath on her neck and his hands on her hips. However, she knew it wouldn't last long.

He fell to his knees and bent over, holding his bleeding ears as the water fell around them. Hikari stepped over him and walked towards Orochimaru.

"Next time you decide to bother me, make it worth my time…"

"He's not done yet," Orochimaru said with a smirk. Hikari stepped out of the way and grabbed Sasuke's fist with a Chidori crackling in it.

"Yes, yes he is," Hikari warned as she threatened to snap the bone.

"Why so cold?" Orochimaru asked, again smirking; this was all a game to him, entertainment.

"Why do you always deicide to torment your own daughter?" Hikari asked back with a glare. "If you want to play this game, I will kill your pupil right here, right now."

"Ok," Orochimaru said as he leaned forwards. "Do it without the help of your Ninjutsu. Taijutsu only." Hikari scowled.

"Fine," she said as she yanked her hand away from Sasuke's arm as if it was toxic at the touch. "So be it." Hikari took off her headphones and tossed them with her cloak. Sasuke glared at her; he didn't want to admit it, but Hikari made a fool out of him. Worst of all, he realised he had so little to do with this fight, but so much at the same time. Sasuke knew the intensity and hatred of her glare directed at him was for only him. Hikari let out a yell and ran forwards, aiming a punch at his face. He ducked and grabbed her arm, using her weight against her to throw her behind him. However, she grabbed his shoulder and used his weight to kick him in the side. Sasuke threw her again, and this time she landed on her back on the cold ground. She let out a cough and then slowly stood up. She wiped her lip that she had bit open and when she removed her hand, the cut was gone. Sasuke looked into her eyes and found he was somewhat reluctant to fight her. Somehow, it struck him that she was on a path of self-destruction. Hikari swallowed and then launched herself forwards again; Sasuke blocked her attack. It went on like this for two hours straight, attacking and blocking. However, by the end, Hikari was unable to continue. Sasuke had technically won because of her lack of Taijutsu skills.

"Your Taijutsu needs improvement," Orochimaru said to Hikari.

"Yeah, yeah," Hikari said. "However, I also function on a team basis, and while I am strong in my Jutsu, Midoriko backs me up with hand to hand…"

"I want you to focus on your Taijutsu in training."

"Yeah, yeah," Hikari restated as she picked up her cloak and blindfold. "Whatever." Midoriko bowed to Orochimaru and then quickly ran after his daughter.

…

"I don't care what that old snake says, you beat Sasuke's ass," Midoriko said quietly.

"Yeah well, I'm sure that meant a lot to him in the end. I'm going to bed. This has me bummed out. I'll see you later." Midoriko nodded.

"Yeah, see you tonight, _remember_?"

"Yes, I remember, now I want to get some rest…" Midoriko nodded.

"Alright, see you later then." Hikari yawned and shut the door to her room. She started to discard some of the layers of her clothing. Her jacket and shoes being the main articles of clothing she got rid of. A few minutes later, another knock sounded on her door.

"My god, Midori, you just left…" Hikari walked to the door and opened it, only to realise it was not who she assumed. "Go away. I have no interest in you." Despite her demand, Sasuke pushed his way into the room anyways.

"How long have you been here?" Hikari didn't answer; instead, she folded her arms and let a scowl take her lips. "Hikari…" he growled.

"I don't have to explain anything to you," Hikari hissed. "I was under the impression that you're not a complete moron, so you should at least be able to figure out the obvious." Another throaty growl passed his lips. "What? Are you an animal or something? Use your words, Sasuke," she mocked as she walked to the door and opened it, 'offering' an exit that she expected him to take. He walked towards the door, but then at the last second he trapped her between the door and himself, shutting it and holding her in place.

"You _will_ answer my questions," Sasuke hissed.

"I won't," Hikari said stubbornly. "I do not owe you a damn thing, forget an explanation." Sasuke's eyes started to blaze with smouldering intensity as the onyx colour started to fade and became replaced by brilliant crimson; his Sharingan. His eyes reminded her of the day Itachi had attacked Naruto, and captured her gaze with his own crimson eyes, as if hypnotising her. She remembered the suffocating feeling, she remembered that she couldn't will herself to move until she somehow managed to break the trace; this situation was much the same. She found herself staring into Sasuke's eyes and slowly letting her anger slip away, a sense of unease replaced it. She couldn't breath and she couldn't move. She realised that in that moment, all she wanted to do was feel him against her. She swallowed, but got no relief at this unsettling feeling at the bottom of her stomach.

"How long have you been here?" he asked again, his words slow and his smell invading her senses. Her logical self slipped away as she sighed.

"I have been living in this village my entire life," she uttered.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Suddenly, her rage came back and she snarled.

"Oh yes, 'Hey Sasuke, just to inform you, I'm really from Otogakure; but it's no big deal, I swear I'm good now.' That sounds like the smartest thing to tell someone from the leaf." Sasuke pressed her harder against the door and glared at her. "What the hell do you want from me, Sasuke? Do you want me to apologize for not telling you? Do you want me to say I'm sorry for being so _angry_ that you went to get power from the creepiest man alive, who also happens to be my father? I don't know what you're doing here, but I don't want you around me. I told you before, I don't hand out second chances, you blew it, get out." Sasuke glared.

"Perhaps if you would have told me we wouldn't be in the mess," he snarled. Hikari let out a mock of a laugh.

"Oh yes, please Hikari, please take me to your father so I can be stronger but eventually lose my body to him all to get my petty revenge! _Please_, do you really think that wouldn't have pissed me off more?" Hikari let out a bitter laugh. "You don't get it do you? You fucked up, not me. I'm not playing games with you anymore; I've been done for a year. I don't know what rock you've been living under, but you need to get with the times. You just don't understand that I _hate_ you, do you?" A sudden proud smirk took over his lips.

"_Prove it_," he challenged as he crashed his lips into hers. Hikari felt more rage boil in her gut as she threw her fist forwards to smash into his jaw. Unfortunately, he caught it and then smirked as he backed off. "Nice try."

"Get out," Hikari hissed. "Seriously, if you don't leave I'll-"

"You'll do what?" he asked in a teasing manner. "Just admit it, you want your old life back."

"No, no I don't Sasuke," Hikari said in a pleading tone. "I just want you to get out of my life now. I just want you out of my head and out of my memories." Hikari pushed him away from her and then opened the door again. "Please, _please_ just go. I can't take this anymore. Just let me forget you…" Sasuke blinked, actually feeling her sincerity about what she was saying; she wasn't lying or hiding anything. She was genuinely worn-out and tired of this game they played. He sighed.

"Hikari-"

"Please don't," she uttered. "I don't want to know, Sasuke. It will make this easier. Please, just go. I don't know what else I can possible say that I haven't already. I don't want to know if you still care. Understood? I'm, well, like I said, I'm done." Sasuke sighed began to speak again, but then decided against his chosen words.

"It doesn't have to be like this…" Hikari didn't respond to him, she just averted her eyes to the floor and waited for him to leave. He sighed and exited through the door. Hikari slowly shut it and then slid down the length of it, holding her head in her hands. She looked up towards and ceiling and touched her searing lips; she could still feel his kiss. She let her head hit the door and then closed her eyes, feeling tears leak out of them.

"I have to get out of here…"


	4. The Fourth Passage

_**The Fourth Passage:**_

Hikari looked at her desk, staring down at the piece of paper in front of her. She didn't know what to write on it. The words wouldn't surface. He had left a note for her, and she was trying to do the same thing, but nothing came to mind. She felt blank and utterly empty. Only ash remained of her feelings that had burned out. What could she even say to him that wouldn't make her seem desperate to be found? Perhaps, she shouldn't leave a note at all. Suddenly, as if the night sky turned to day, she understood what she needed to write on the paper. She knew it was horribly cliché, but nothing seemed like a better idea.

…

Sasuke wished he had the courage to go to Hikari again. However, he could face one thousand shinobi, yet he couldn't face her. There was something about one of the last things she had said to him that left him uneasy.

'_I don't want to know, Sasuke. It will make this easier.'_

"Make what easier?" he said quietly as he aimlessly walked.

"Sasuke?" Sasuke blinked and turned to face Kabuto with a quirked brow; normally, Kabuto would not be looking for him at this time of night. "Orochimaru wants you to go fetch Hikari. I would myself, but I have to go take care of the prisoners." Kabuto smirked when Sasuke frowned. "Hurry up now, you don't want to keep him waiting." Before Sasuke could protest, Kabuto had disappeared; slipping into the shadows like the snake he was. Sasuke sighed and made his way towards the path he had already memorised. He knocked on the door and no one answered. He waited a few seconds before trying again, however, no voice admitted him entrance, so he went in anyways. He was mildly surprised to see no one in the room, and he went to retreat to go find her in the hideout, but then he processed how _bare_ the room was. Even though Hikari's room was almost as if a dead person lived there to begin with, he noticed that a few of her things were missing. Pictures, books, and scrolls; none of them sat on their shelves. He raised his brow as he ventured further into the room, only to stop in front of her desk to see her elegant handwriting on an old piece of paper. He picked it up and then reading it, however, the note left him with a scowl.

'_If you love me, let me go. This is my last request of you._' Sasuke frowned as he tucked the note into his pocket and then studied the room again. He sighed as he opened her closet and realised all of her clothing was gone as well. He briefly wondered if this is what it felt like when she woke up and realised he was gone. He understood why she was so angry now. Looking around the room, it really felt like someone who had died, lived in it, and for a brief moment he wondered if he would ever see her face again. Like an epiphany, he understood those words, at last. Leaving would be easier if she didn't know how he felt. Now that she was gone, she'd never know.

…

"She what!" Kabuto sighed.

"She's gone, my lord. I did warn you that making her face him would be too much."

"Don't lecture me, Kabuto," Orochimaru hissed. "I want her found, now."

"I'm afraid that's impossible as well, it seems she took the only person who was able to track her with her. Midoriko has disappeared as well." Orochimaru snarled as he threw the glass that had sat next to him at the wall and watched the broken pieces fly in different directions.

"She needs to be found," Orochimaru hissed once again.

"Sire, I'm afraid that she's beyond our control. You know as well as I do that she exceeds your power," Kabuto said quietly. "If we're going to get her back here, it cannot be by force. We must lure her back."

"Kabuto!" Orochimaru stood and walked menacing steps towards his servant. "If she isn't in this hideout by tomorrow, I will not be happy."

"I understand, my lord. However, I'm not guaranteeing her return. Perhaps you need to become accustomed to the idea of her not returning."

"No!" Orochimaru yelled. "She is one of my planned vessels, without her power-"

"My lord, she is the same as Itachi Uchiha. She is out of your reach. Perhaps you should wait, she could have a child. You should strike then. First, however, you should focus on your current vessel." Orochimaru glared.

"Shut your mouth, Kabuto." Kabuto sighed.

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."

…

"I never expected a Koizumi-run village to be so, populated," Midoriko said with a smile after she and Hikari had passed the gate. They had claimed to be seeking refuge, once they proved their identities, they were welcome with open arms.

"It's perfect," Hikari said. "It's like hiding in plain sight, no one will even think to look for us here."

"You're right," Midoriko agreed with a nod. "It's kind of cute too and it has a lot of very yummy looking boys." Hikari sighed. "I will choose wisely." Hikari rolled her eyes at her friend's crooked smile.

"You need help…"

"Picking one? I know. Oh, wait a minute, I spy a tall, brooding and handsome," Midoriko said as she squinted and put her hand over her eyes to block the sunlight. Hikari looked towards the area, but there was no one there anymore. "I wonder where he went, he was there just a second ago," Midoriko muttered as she looked around. "Weird.." Hikari tried to push down her shock, somehow she never ceased to be surprised when it came to Midoriko.

Hikari walked towards the address the village leader had given her.

"The house is supposed to be this way," Hikari said as he looked around. "I found it, come on." Midoriko nodded and lightly skipped to the step.

"In we go! Oh I am so excited, I just know it's going to be great here!" Hikari opened the door and let them into the apartment.

"Yeah, I think it might be too." Midoriko squealed.

"This place is huge! I call the master bedroom!"


	5. The Fifth Passage

_**The Fifth Passage:**_

"That is her, Sora," Madara whispered into the young man's ear who stood next to him. For a brief moment, Sora saw Hikari in the window and his eyes widened. He didn't expect her to be here as well.

"Hikari's with her," Sora said quietly as he looked up towards Madara, who's figure was completely concealed by the cloak he wore. "_She's not so different, just more mature now._" Sora sighed as he watched her with longing eyes. Everything he felt towards her came back to him and he suddenly felt the rage with it. The rage, it was the most overwhelming feeling, he just wanted to make her suffer, more than anything. He thought of how his brother would react to this and even felt a little ashamed of himself after he did.

"Killing a Koizumi isn't that difficult, just do it quickly and make it so they die before they start healing themselves. Cut something like the jugular vein, she won't survive," Madara explained with a smirk. Now that Madara saw Midoriko in person, he really wanted her dead. He recognised her instantly, she after all did look a lot like her aunt Tsunade. She was the great-great granddaughter of the first Hokage, and she was unusual for the fact that she directly inherited his Jutsu. Midoriko was his enemy. "She must die Sora, she must die if you're going to get your revenge. She is Hikari's closest friend, truly."

"I understand," Sora whispered, only making the smirk on Madara's concealed face grow larger.

…

"Hikari?" Midoriko asked with a smile. "Why don't we go out? We have been living here for about a week, and never really left the house."

"I'd like to," Hikari said honestly. "However, I'm not sure I want to go out yet, I never know when it's safe, you know? I don' t where Orochimaru is hiding…"

"He's not anywhere, come on," Midoriko said as she grabbed onto her friend's arm and dragged her out of the house. Hikari sighed.

"Fine then, seems that I don't have another choice…"

"That's right," Midoriko said in a proud tone. "Hikari Koizumi can't do nothing about it! Let's go shopping, I'd like a new dress."

"A dress? You're a Kunoichi…"

"And who says Kunoichi can't wear dresses?" Midoriko asked with a pout.

"Well, unless you'd like to show off you're flaming pink underwear and leave yourself completely exposed, I don't think a Kunoichi would wear one," Hikari said as she rolled her eyes.

"Meh, more ways to attract boys! In hot underwear and exposed!" Hikari face-palmed; Midoriko could not understand any sensible logic.

"Look, Midoriko, let's at least go to a weapons shop. My glove broke and I'd like to find a new weapon…"

"Yeah, I've lost a lot of my needles too, so it's probably a good idea. However, I'll use a different shop then you. You're going for the one that sells armour, right?"

"Yeah," Hikari said with a shrug. "Meet you at the Dango shop?"

"That sounds good," Midoriko agreed with a nod. "Dango it is! Meet you there, half an hour?"

"Yeah, that should be sufficient," Hikari said as she walked off with a wave.

…

"Don't move another inch, or I'll kill you," Hikari whispered into the ear of a cloaked stranger. The person tensed in her arms, and she felt her breath catch when she saw Midoriko at his feet, her eyes blank and lifeless. Blood streamed from the ugly wound on her throat, it was a lot of blood. This was premeditated, the person went for her jugular vein. Hikari quickly moved her arm to cut the murder's throat, but a potted plant took the person's place. Hikari turned and made chase, however, the person kept on firing an odd Jutsu at her, one full of artsy design. Hikari threw her hands together and started to have many jets of water attack him, but he dodged every single one, like he knew her attack style. Hikari scowled and grabbed her headphones, turning up the outside noise blocker and then throwing them onto her ears. She formed a wall of water around them and made it flow.

"You're dead," she hissed as she did the necessary handsigns to activate her Jutsu. "Echo amplification technique!" Hikari's eyes widened when the assassin continued to run and cut through the wall of water, completely unaffected by her sound Jutsu. She shook her head, as if shaking the confusion away, and chased after him again, feeling her legs begin to grow heavy; it was strange, she knew she could run for hours, so why was she feeling so faint? Again, she pushed the thought to the back of her mind and focused on catching the murderer, she was determined to avenge her friend's death. She was mildly surprised that the grief hadn't befallen her yet, but she didn't dwell on it, the grief would only interrupt her mission. She willed her legs to just move the tiniest amount faster, however, as if wanting her to fail, they slowed even more. A sudden pulse went straight to the core of her being, and she found herself rooted to her spot. Her eyes widened as she looked forwards and watched the assassin come to a stop and slowly turn around. She could only see his eyes, deep and cerulean. He drew a knife from his kunai pouch and approached her.

"I've caught you in my Genjutsu," the man said in a drawl. Hikari began to struggled and try to break free, but it was no use. The scene around her started to slowly melt, black and watery ink running from everything she saw and running towards her until it gathered around her feet, beginning to rise and pool around her. Slowly the cold liquid crawled up her legs and dyed her skin. She started to panic when it reached her neck, it was going to drown her. "You will become one with my work of art, nothing but a wisp of memory." Hikari tried to break her flow of chakra, but her opponents was too strong, whoever this was, they were a master of Genjutsu, or at least, this particular one. Hikari bit down on her lip, and felt the blood rush to the surface, but even the pain couldn't awake her trance. Suddenly, she was thrown into reality, however, she wasn't the one who caused it. Someone cloaked had stepped in front of her, holding an open palm up to the murderer. The assassin's blue eyes widened. The cloaked figure rushed forwards and hit the assassin in the chest, sending him flying back into piles of wood and boxes. The cloaked man turned and picked up Hikari, and started to run away from the enemy.

"Put me down!" Hikari demanded as she hit him multiple times. Her saviour ignored her and continued to run through the village until he jumped over the tall wall that surrounded it. "What are you doing! I swear to god, Sasuke if that's you, I'm going to wring your neck!"

"My name is not Sasuke," the person responded, his tone irritated. Hikari did not recognise him from his tone of voice, nor how tall her was or even the frame of his body she was pressed against. She was fairly sure she had never met this person.

"Whoever you are, take me back!" she demanded with a glare.

"I would, but that enemy drained your chakra. If I brought you back, you'd die and you're a valuable asset to me." Hikari glared.

"What makes you think I'd do anything for you, huh?" she asked with venom.

"You're in debt to me, I just saved your life. It's either be in debt to me, or die," the man responded, again in an irritated voice. "And you and I both know you would not choose the latter because it goes against your clan's code of honour. You're mother taught you to be thankful, did she not?" Hikari scowled.

"What could you possibly offer me that will make my life worth living for?" she asked blandly. "If you didn't notice, one of the last friends I have just died."

"I can offer the answer of a question you seek," the man said as he looked both ways and then jumped into a tree, running through the forest.

"Yeah right," Hikari scoffed. "I already wish I didn't know some of the answers I once sought, anything you could tell me is old news."

"I could tell you if Haruo Uchiha is alive, and where he would be if he was," the man responded, his voice set the hook. Hikari's eyes widened.

"Is he alive?" she asked in an alarmed tone.

"I will only tell you the details of him if you agree to swear yourself to me," the man offered. "If he is alive, I'll tell you where he is, if he is dead I will tell you where all of his belongings are including several letters he sent to you and your mother. However, I will not divulge any information until I have your word."

"How can you trust my word?" Hikari asked as she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Oh, I cannot," the man said in a chuckle. "A Jutsu will be performed to bind you to me. However, I feel that working for me as a medic isn't a huge price to pay for that information."

"A medic?" Hikari asked with surprise. "I'm not a medical ninja."

"Yes, I realise this," he responded. "However, I have a companion who is terminally ill. You're blood can help."

"It won't heal them," she said quickly. "It's a temporary fix."

"I don't want this person healed," the man explained. "I just need him to live a little longer."

"What happens after?" Hikari asked with narrowed eyes. "After this person dies?"

"You will still work for me occasionally, but for the most part, you will be free," the man explained. "However, future events could turn ugly, so your protection and safety are guaranteed." Hikari thought about his offer.

"_Either way, the information he has is beneficial and will help me piece together my mother's past, however, serving him? But what if Haruo is alive? What if he escaped the massacre? This is information I've been longing to know for years… _" Hikari sighed and looked up at the man. "I'll do it, you have my word." He stopped abruptly and put Hikari onto the ground.

"We're performing the Jutsu right here," the man said as he pulled scrolls from within his cloak. Hikari blinked as she watched him with curious eyes. After he had finished, he motioned her forwards. "This is a binding Jutsu, it will bind you to me. I need your blood, it is your way of signing the contract." Hikari nodded as he handed her a kunai. She cut open the palm of her hand and then let the blood drip onto the small section of the scroll that was left blank but had an obvious place of her blood. The scroll started to glow, and so did the blood. Once the glow settled, kanji replaced her blood. They read 'obedience'. Without moving, she focused chakra to the cut on her hand and felt it close. "From this day forwards you are to listen to every command I give you." Hikari felt a searing where the cut had been and looked onto the palm of her hand as she started to scream. Like on the scroll, the kanji for 'obedience' was written on her hand, black like tattoos after they finished glowing crimson. She couldn't close the raw and hot skin of her palm, so her fingers twitched as the breeze stung the burns. "That was the activation of the contract, whenever I tell you to do something, that mark will glow. There are limitations, however, if you cannot hear what I say, it doesn't take effect. It has to be a verbal command. However, if you disobey me, you die." Hikari swallowed and nodded. "Good. Let's go."

"_By binding, I thought he meant preventing me from leaving, I didn't realise I had to obey his every command! Fuck, what have I gotten myself into? All of this just so some guy will live for a little while? This guy is insane…" _


	6. The Sixth Passage

_**The Sixth Passage:**_

"Who are you?" Hikari asked as she and her new 'master' walked. "Do you have a name?" Hikari looked around the area. "I'd be nice to know where we're going as well." The man sighed.

"You must not tell another soul this information I am about to divulge unless I say it is alright to do so. When we are in the base and around other members, you must call me Tobi," he demanded. Hikari's hand started to sear again, and she tried to squeeze it shut to resist the pain; she assumed it was worse than before because he was giving her multiple orders at once, making it burn hotter. As soon as she accepted his order as something she would do, the burning stopped.

"Base?" Hikari asked. "Other members? May I at least know what I've gotten my self into?"

"You have become a subordinate for an Akatsuki member," he said simply.

"The Akatsuki?" she asked as if the word would poison her. "You're kidding, right?" The man just looked at her, and she assume that beneath his cloak he was glaring. "Ok, so you're not kidding…"

"You should be happy. We can protect you from your father. He wouldn't dare challenge us and joining us will just serve as a means of making him angry," the man said as if it was a simple math equation. "Isn't that what you like to do, defy your father?" The man chuckled. "We can also make you far stronger than anyone else can."

"Will the other members know who I am?" she asked with a sigh.

"Yes, they have been informed that the Hebiko betrayed the Sound Village and is now a rouge. Take your headband and scratch out the symbol with a kunai. One cut through the middle. It represents that you're a rouge." Hikari sighed as her hand started to burn again. She reached into her kunai pouch and took a knife from within. She also reached into her ninja pouch and took her headband out. She crossed out the Sound Village symbol, like how he instructed to, and then tied it onto the belt loops of her skirt.

"Now, to answer your other question, I am Madara Uchiha. However, there is a system within the Akatsuki. I am the true leader, but I really hide behind the scenes and control things from the background. The leader who you will address as leader is a man named Pein." Again, the mark seared, to make it stop, she accepted her duty to him.

"Curiously?" Hikari asked as she looked down at the kanji. "For simple matters, like words, does it prevent me to from speaking them?"

"The binding contract will not allow you to say Madara to others who do not know of your situation. It would be a silly thing to die for and the chances of it being a slip of memory are high. As an answer to your question, yes; for simple commands like the one you mentioned, it will prevent you from calling me Madara."

"Does anyone else in the Akatsuki know of your true identity?" Hikari asked with a sigh. She had just found out there was another Uchiha and she wasn't even fazed by it, things had slowly began not to faze her after Sasuke left Konoha. "You said that you would excuse this command to people who know."

"That is true," Madara said with a nod. "Pein, Konan, Zetsu and Itachi Uchiha all know I exist and who I am. You may speak of me, when you are speaking in private with those four people." Hikari nodded. Her nerves sky rocketed when she heard Itachi's name; she had forgotten he was in the Akatsuki. She wondered how Sasuke would feel about her being this close to his brother now.

"So am I going to be your subordinate?" she asked.

"No, I am pretending to be a subordinate myself," he said with a smirk. "I am going to assign you to an Akatsuki member and you're going to pretend you work for them."

"Who is it?" Hikari asked curiously. She figured she had the right to know who she would be obeying for the next god-knows-how-long.

"I'm saving the surprise until we arrive." Hikari raised her brow but then just sighed and shook her head slightly.

"_Whatever…_"

"We are going to speed up now, I'd like to get there by nightfall," he said in a stern tone. "We are travelling to Amegakure."

"Will I eventually be a member of the group?" Hikari asked curiously. "Or will I always be a underling?"

"There is a free spot, however, you do not possess the skills to be a full-fledged member. We call our subordinates 'Junior Members' because most of them are trying to make it into the organization."

"I understand," Hikari said with a nod. "What if the junior members don't want to be a full-fledged member? Madara smirked.

"Then they're disposed of…We cannot let them leak our secrets. Now come on, make haste so that we may get there." Hikari felt the mark on her palm blaze again and sighed as she increased her speed. She got the feeling that being under the control of this man was going to be the death of her.

…

When Hikari and Madara arrived to the Akatsuki base in Amegakure, they entered through am opening very high on the building, one that lead to a statue head that over looked the rainy city. When they went inside, they entered a room that was dimly lit by the candles that were attached to the side of the walls.

"Madara-sama," a woman greeted. Her eyes were unlike any eyes Hikari had ever seen, they were the colour of hot flames and clashed with the pale cloudy blue of her hair. Set in her hair was an origami rose, folded so precisely it must have taken hours to complete. It didn't take long for Hikari to realise that she had entered a very strange place.

"Konan, this is the girl," Madara said with a hand gesture towards Hikari.

"It's nice to meet you," Konan greeted. "Madara-sama has been talking about your addition to the Akatsuki for a long time." Hikari raised her brow and looked at Madara. However, he was looked towards one of the shadowy corners.

"No need to analyse her, Pein," Madara commented as he started to undo his cloak. Hikari was mildly surprised to see that he wore a mask that had only one hole in it for the eye. "Konan, please send for him." Konan nodded and walked to the opening in the wall that lead to the statue outside. Hikari's eyes widened when she saw a piece of paper lift from her hand and fold itself into a bird, taking flight shortly after.

"_That's one amazing Jutsu_.."

"Have you already used the Jutsu on her?" The man named Pein asked as he walked forwards. Once the shadows from his face were lifted she saw that he was covered in different facial piercings. His hair was the same flame colour of Konan's eyes, yet his were a metallic grey and had the intensity to wear you down with just one look. Upon closer inspection, Hikari also realised his eyes were ringed. Hikari concluded that 'Pein' was a very convincing stand-in.

"There is no doubt in her identity," Pein commented as he eyed her like a hawk would eye a mouse. She swallowed, though her throat was dry, and tensed. "She bears all the marks of a Koizumi as if she were the original one."

"I knew the original Koizumi," Madara said as he smirked. "And she is indeed a mirror image of that woman. I have no doubts in my mind about the powers Hikari could unlock." Hikari looked between them, a little disturbed that they talked as if she wasn't not right next to them. She also took notice to the fact that Madara said he knew the original Koizumi. From her understanding, the original Koizumi lived during the time of the 1st Hokage with a small clan of her own.

"_Is he that old_?" she asked herself mentally as she looked up at him. However, not being able to see his face, she could not judge his age. She frowned and looked towards her feet.

"He's here," Konan commented. Madara and Pein turned their heads towards the door that opened.

"Hikari," Madara said with a smirk in his voice. "You said you wanted to know who's subordinate you were, did you not? Well, I would tell you to 'meet Itachi Uchiha', however, I believe you've been acquainted before."


	7. The Seventh Passage

_**The Seventh Passage:**_

"No need pacing back and forth, little girl," Kisame said with a chuckle. "The lot of us aren't that terrifying."

"I'm not scared," Hikari snapped. "Not scared of you anyways. However, I just realise that I'm going to be murdered so pardon me if I seem a little antsy!"

"Nonsense," Kisame said with a smile. "Who would want to kill you?"

"Your team mate's brother is who is going to murder me," Hikari said as she threw her hands up. "I only happen to be living with his brother now, his brother who he _despises_. How did I get myself into this!" Hikari flopped down onto the couch next to him.

"A lot of us ask that question," Kisame said with a shrug. "The trick is not dwelling on it." Kisame paused for a second. "So you know Itachi's brother?" Hikari deadpanned.

"Seriously? You don't remember me?" "We've met?" Hikari sighed.

"Rude, bossy, kind of small, you thought I was the Jinchuuriki's girlfriend, does that ring a bell?" Kisame suddenly smiled.

"I never thought I'd see you again." He chuckled. "Are you still planning on not listening to a word Itachi says?" Hikari blushed and looked away.

"Hey, I was a sixteen year-old pretending to be thirteen, I think I should be given credit…" Hikari rolled her eyes. "No one listens when they're thirteen." Hikari looked around the room. "So how does this place work?"

"Well, most of the teams keep to themselves," Kisame said, deciding to leave her alone and go along with her change of topic. He knew if he wanted to, however, he could have gone on teasing her. "We have our own apartments in this building, each with a sitting room, kitchen and bedrooms. The way we pass time is by going to the lounge-like room upstairs. When we have meetings with the leader, we tend to go there. Sometimes we get together and play cards up there too, though." Hikari nodded.

"Well, you sound somewhat normal, I guess," she muttered as she looked around. "So I am guessing this is our place?"

"Yeah, your room is the empty one. However, you and Itachi share a bathroom." Hikari groaned.

"To be frank, I don't even want to be around him…" Kisame let out a booming laugh.

"He makes everyone feel that way, it's nothing personal."

"Yeah…" Hikari uttered.

"So how old are you?" Kisame asked curiously.

"Seventeen," Hikari said with a shrug.

"Wow, you're not too much younger than Itachi," Kisame said with a smile. "Kind of weird that you were dating his kid brother isn't it?" Hikari looked at him with a raised brow. "You just seem a lot older than him is all." Hikari shook her head.

"How old is Itachi? He doesn't look under twenty," Hikari commented with a sigh.

"Itachi just turned nineteen in the summer," Kisame said with a smirk.

"And here I thought that he had to be about twenty-three when I first met him last year," Hikari said with a sigh. "I was pretty off. How old are you anyways? Forty?"

"Watch it kid," Kisame said as he smiled with his pointed teeth. Hikari went to retort when the door to the room opened and Itachi walked in. Hikari looked up at him and didn't really know what to say, or do. She knew he couldn't hurt her because Madara had guaranteed her safety, but he still managed to scare the crap out of her.

"_How am I supposed to heal him_?" she asked herself mentally, remember what Madara had told her.

'_Itachi is the person who is sick. I want you to heal him, he needs your blood. How many times a week is up to you, however, you are to go on every mission with him_.'

"_What am I? A personal servant? _" Hikari thought with a sigh. "_I know one thing for-sure, though; Sasuke's going to hate me as much as I hate him when he finds out_…"

"I want to talk to you," Itachi demanded as he looked down at Hikari with burning Sharingan eyes. "Alone." Hikari swallowed and slowly exhaled. Itachi walked away from her and she knew she should follow, he expected her to; she had underestimated her feelings towards him, she was terrified. Kisame chuckled to himself as he got up and left the apartment. Hikari stood and followed Itachi into one of the rooms; she assumed it was his. He shut the door and she felt utterly trapped. "Whatever Madara has told you, I don't need it; keep your blood to yourself."

"I would, but…" Hikari trailed off when he looked her in the eyes and then averted her own away from his. "I can't," she whispered.

"Why would that be?" he challenged as he stalked towards her. Hikari lifted her left palm for him to see and watched as it shook.

"I'll die," she said weakly. "He _ordered_ me to give you my blood at least once a week." Itachi sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. He unbuttoned his cloak and threw it onto his bed. Hikari shifted uncomfortably and then looked down at her hands. A silence fell and for a long while all Itachi did was stare out the window. Hikari did not feel confident enough to leave the room, so instead she stood there, trembling. Surprisingly, all she could think about was Sasuke. She wished he was there to protect her. Hikari was so distracted she didn't even notice Itachi's eyes watching her and studying her. He was curious about her and he found he learned more from people by their actions than any words they spoke to him; however, he felt the need to ask.

"Why are you shaking?" Hikari looked down at her palm, alarmed, when it started to burn. "So Madara gave you an order that would force you to answer that?" Hikari's eyes widened.

"If Itachi asks you a question that relates to Sasuke in any way, I want you to answer it, and honestly" She now felt like he may of just gave her that order to mess with her. Hikari hesitated, and then only grinded her teeth with the mark started to burn hotter.

"If you don't answer, it will only get worse until the end," Itachi said in his quiet but dangerous voice.

"It's what Sasuke said about you," Hikari blurted out, just wanting the pain to stop. Thankfully, it did slowly start to fade to a tingle when she answered. Itachi looked out the window, directing his eyes elsewhere.

"You may leave…" Hikari made haste to the door and then shut it, letting herself breath. She almost jumped out of her skin when she saw Madara standing in front of her.

"You have training tomorrow," he informed with a smirk. "With Itachi." Hikari swallowed and nodded as she watched him turn to leave the room. "It would be wise to rest while you can. Oh, and Hikari? I have decided that you must give Itachi your blood every day. That's an order." Hikari cringed when the mark started to burn.

…

Itachi sighed as he looked out the window in his room. He did not like the way Madara was challenging him, it was almost as if it was a childish game of dares. Madara was daring Itachi to let Hikari get close to him, he knew that much.

"_This is a plan to get Sasuke here_," Itachi thought. "_He's also trying to see how far I am willing to go_ _to make Sasuke hate me_." Itachi's eyes shifted towards the door that lead to the bathroom he and Hikari now shared. He could hear her showering and the light hum of her voice drifting through the walls. He blinked and looked out the window again, watching the rain pour. Hikari had been Sasuke's girlfriend, Itachi knew that from the way she tried to protect him from harm the first time he had met her. He also knew that she was not any longer, because she would not have left Orochimaru's snake pit if she had been. However, he wondered if his younger brother had been the one to break it off or watch her walk away. If it was the latter, or maybe even the first, Itachi thought of a new use for Hikari. If making Sasuke hate him is what it took, he was willing to go too far in order to achieve it. Itachi closed his eyes and only then did he notice that the shower had stopped and Hikari was no longer humming; how long this had been the case, he was not sure. He lifted his hand to his head and tried to wait out the pain of his aching body. He walked to his bed and sat down, sighing as he reached into his draw and took a bottle of pills from within, carefully taking them out of the bottle and swallowing them dry. He had no idea how much longer he was going to live, but at least he had the necessary tools to numb the physical pain. He heard the door open and looked up to see Hikari looking around the room confused.

"Wrong door," she muttered when her eyes landed on him. He saw the mark of her hand start to glow and small scowl come to her face. "Are you ok?" she asked after a moment of clenching and unclenching her fist. Itachi raised his brow. "You don't look good, you look really pale." She didn't look at him; she turned her head and looked towards the door that led to the sitting room. He studied her long black hair that reached her waist in a braid with emotionless eyes. The bangs that hung over her face were damp and clung to her peachy skin. Her eyes, like a child's eyes, were large and curious to the world around her, ready to take in information. After a long moment of silence, Itachi finally spoke.

"I'm fine," he said curtly. Hikari sighed and walked towards him; at first glance, she seemed confident in her strides towards him. However, when one closely watched her, her eyebrows were pulled together and her fingertips shook. She was afraid. Hikari knelt in front of him and put her hand out for him to take as she handed him a kunai knife.

"It will make you feel better," she uttered as she looked away again, closing her eyes. Itachi sighed and took the hilt of the knife, placing it in her palm and then closing her hand around it. Hikari looked up at him, her eyes were fearful; however, he noticed a small hint of curiosity in them, curiosity at his actions. "May I ask you a question?" He looked down at her and nodded once. She took in a deep breath, and out of nervous habit swept all of her hair over her shoulder and then continued. "When you were still in Konoha, before the massacre, did you know a man named Haruo?"

"There were many Uchiha," he said stoically. Hikari sighed and looked away.

"I figured as much," she muttered as she stood and turned her back to him. Itachi's eyes narrowed when he saw the curse-mark on her bare skin between the 'v' shape her shirt made over her shoulder blades. When he had saw it the first time, he was not aware of her lineage, now that he knew, it disturbed even him that a father would do that to his own flesh and blood. Even Itachi knew the curse-mark had a high probability of killing its host. The fact that Orochimaru would so mindlessly throw away the life of one of his greatest assets struck Itachi as strange; he knew Orochimaru craved Jutsu, and if what Madara had said to him was true, why wouldn't he keep Hikari around to gather him those Jutsu. Itachi's keen eyes caught movement and he looked down to see her clenching and unclenching her fist.

"Whatever it is, if you don't do it you will die," he said curtly.

"You don't need the blood and I can't force you to take it. However, Madara _ordered_ me to make you drink it if you refused it. He _ordered_ me to give it to you everyday yesterday when I left the room. I…I'm powerless in this, aren't I?" Hikari shuttered as her hand started to sear even more, the mark glowing blue; the hottest colour of flame. Itachi narrowed his eyes as he reached forwards, grabbing her hand with the kunai in it and then cutting open her palm. He brought her hand to his lips and took the tiniest bit of her blood. Hikari's eyes widened and she winced at the force he used with the kunai. A shiver ran down her spine when he backed away from her and he noticed that she gained a small amount of courage and held eye contact with him. She swallowed and then closed her eyes, she was easy to read; she was trying to fight off emotions. Itachi looked at the mark and saw that it started to cool. He wanted to kill Madara, but instead, he decided that the old Uchiha would not get away with this. Hikari's hand started to repair itself and she began to speak, the smallest sound coming out of her mouth but then she shut it and closed her eyes.

"Excuse me," she said quietly as she turned around and ran through the bathroom into her own. Itachi watched her go with angry eyes. Madara was hanging the life of this girl over his head, the girl Sasuke loved; Madara just wanted him to snap and kill her. Itachi frowned. He was not going to lose these games Madara liked to play, instead he settled on his other plan for Hikari, one that would kill two birds with one stone. He would make Sasuke hate him, and he would enjoy watching Madara's plan fail while he did it.


	8. The Eighth Passage

_**The Eighth Passage:**_

_Midoriko slowly focused her chakra to her neck and severed the flow of blood, making it look like she had died. She watched with vacant eyes as Hikari fought her opponent and then run the other way. Once she was sure they were gone, she used her chakra to draw back the blood she had lost and seal the wound shut. Whoever had done this had their aim correct, it's just too bad that Midoriko was quick to reflex and started to control the flow of her blood the moment she felt the kunai imbed in her throat. She had a terrible feeling inside, however. She knew that the person was really after Hikari, or at least, someone was. Despite this, she was still too weak to make chase. She slowly stood and nodded to herself. This wasn't going to drag her down, she would find her team-mate and then impale the person who arranged this. _

Midoriko opened her eyes and looked around the tea shop she sat in.

"So you say that you saw a man take her away?" she asked the elderly woman sitting in front of her.

"Yes, he was completely cloaked my dear," the woman responded in a small voice.

"Do you know which way he went with her?"

"North," the woman confirmed. "However, that was three days ago."

…

Madara chuckled to himself as he moved one of his chess pieces into place.

"Check," he said with a low voice; amusement laced into his tone. No one sat across him, he played alone, but he couldn't help but let a low chuckle escape him. "How are you going to make your next move? You're cornered. If you don't do as I want, she will die and your little brother will suffer. However, if you do what you want, you will add fuel to Sasuke's rage, but at least she is still among the living. Whatever you do, it won't end well, will it, Itachi?" Madara smiled down at his strategy. "I want to see how you play our little game, Itachi. Unfortunately for you, I have three pawns and you have none. All of my sacrificial pieces are in play…However, I would still like to see what you decide upon. It's either let her closer than none other before or you take her life with your own hands. It's your choice." Madara smiled as he moved another piece forwards. "Either way, it's a lose-lose situation. Checkmate."

…

"Again," Itachi said in his normal monotone voice. Hikari sighed and ran through the stances for the sixth time, struggling to make each fluid and use technique at the same time.

"I think the leader should give up on me learning how to do proper Taijutsu," Hikari said it a drawl as she threw her arm forwards in a punching motion as she turned her fist at the same time. "We don't work together."

"When you start the position, your elbow should be level with you shoulder and not skew off path when you throw the punch," Itachi instructed as he moved forwards and adjusted her upper arm. "Start from there." Hikari sighed again as she adjusted her arm where he had told her to and then threw the punch. "Show me an uppercut." Hikari nodded as she moved her other arm into position and then jabbed her fist upwards towards where someone's chin would be if they were in front of her. "Next the elbow." Hikari slammed her elbow down, imagining someone bending down front of her. Without instruction, she launched her knee where the person's face would have been and then with the last step, she threw her arm forwards which would knock her opponent about five feet away from her.

"Satisfied?" she asked with a huff.

"Do it again…" Hikari let out an exasperated sigh, but instead of arguing, she did as she was told. After she threw her arm forwards with the final step, she looked back at him with a raised brow. Itachi lifted his hand and made a sign, next to him a clone appeared. "Now on the clone." Hikari let a frustrated noise pass her lips as she moved towards the doppelganger of Itachi.

"Won't it disappear with one hit?" Itachi ignored her, in response she rolled her eyes and turned to the clone. She threw her punch, and then an uppercut, followed by her elbow. She released her breath and then threw her knee forwards and then directed chakra into her last blow to make the clone fly backwards and skid into the ground. It disappeared with a wave of smoke.

"You managed to learn a basic combination…" Itachi commented as he turned around and walked towards the hideout.

"Are we done?" Hikari asked with a raised brow as she followed him, pushing away his sarcastic comment.

"For now. We must rest so we may begin to travel again. We have a mission in the land of lightning."

"What kind of mission?"

"Information retrieval," he responded, however, he didn't say any more on the subject afterwards.

"_The land of lightning_?" Hikari asked herself. "_I've never been there before…_"

…

"So, where did you get that mark on your hand, kid?" Kisame asked as he glanced towards Hikari. Hikari froze for a moment and almost stopped walking, she didn't know what to say.

"I put it on her," Itachi said stoically. "Leader wanted me to ensured that she cannot run away." Hikari inwardly sighed with relief; she learned something new while she was trekking with them to the Land of Lightning, Itachi was a quick thinker.

"Oh, so you're bound to him…Itachi give her an order, I want to see how it works," Kisame said with a smirk. Hikari lucked out a second time; Madara had ordered her to do anything that Itachi told her to do in order to prove that it was her and Itachi who were bound. Itachi glanced towards Hikari with a bored expression.

"When she needs to be given an order, she will be given one. Using this power depletes my chakra, there is no point using it uselessly," Itachi responded coldly.

"I didn't think of that," Kisame admitted after a moment. Itachi didn't respond. Hikari sighed as she looked ahead of herself.

"_I feel like a third wheel_," she thought with a frown. "_Like I don't belong here_…_What if Sasuke saw me with Itachi_?_ I wonder how he'd react_…" Hikari looked towards Itachi and then thought of Madara. When she thought of Madara she thought of the assassin and then Midoriko; the person she had been trying not to think about. "_I hope she isn't dead…I know she could defend herself and she excelled in chakra control, but…_" Hikari closed her eyes. "_I wish there was some way for me to know for sure_…"

…

"I'm sorry Lord Orochimaru," Midoriko whispered as she knelt in front of the angry serpent and begged for her life. She didn't want to, but she knew the best way to find, and then help Hikari, would be to keep tabs on what's going on in the Sound village and then report to her. She knew if she blindly looked around the world for Hikari, she'd never find her. But here, in the Sound village, there were tons of whispers that came from everywhere. She'd hear something eventually. Orochimaru glared and raised his hand, about to murder Midoriko; however, if her guess was correct, someone would stop the angry Lord.

"My Lord, that is a terrible idea," Kabuto spoke up calmly. "If you kill her, what would Hikari do?"

"_Bingo~_"

"Hikari must be punished!" Orochimaru said harshly.

"There are other, and much more effective, ways to punish her, My Lord," Kabuto said with a smirk. "Surely if we torture Midoriko, Hikari would hear word of it and then come rushing back. Remember what I said about luring her here?"

"Do not lecture me, Kabuto!" Orochimaru howled as he turned away from the young Koizumi. "I know what to do." Orochimaru looked over his shoulder with a smirk. "I hate to burden my Sasuke, however, I feel he is the only one capable of watching over her. Besides, I have a feeling that would gravely upset Hikari." Midoriko's eyes widened. "Have her things moved into his room immediately. She is to stay with him until Hikari comes back. I don't want any messages sent while we are not watching." Orochimaru chuckled. "Besides, I have a feeling Sasuke-kun will be very upset with Midoriko." Orochimaru looked at Midoriko. "This is an order, you are to never go anywhere in the hideout without an escort. Sasuke will have to take you along to training with him and for the most part you will not be allowed out of his sight. However, if you ever commit insubordination again I will kill you personally." Midoriko stood and then bowed.

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru," she said weakly. This was now taking a totally opposite path than she had first thought. She just hoped that Sasuke didn't know she convinced Hikari to leave, and if he did, she hoped that he wasn't prone to anger.

…

"You," Sasuke hissed.

"_Damn he knows…_" Midoriko coughed. "Um…Hi…" Sasuke glared at her.

"Sasuke," Kabuto said with a smirk. "Orochimaru has given you a task that he is convinced will help improve your strength. He wants you to prevent this Koizumi from leaving your side. Don't let her go anywhere alone to send messages to Hikari."

"How is that going to improve my strength?" Sasuke snarled as his brow twitched.

"Koizumi are handfuls…Come on, you spend a lot of time with Hikari, you already know this," Kabuto said as he pushed up his glasses. "Well, goodbye. Also, Orochimaru said if you fail to do this he will not teach you that new Jutsu he promised you next weekend." Sasuke let out a growl as he looked at Kabuto.

"Get out," he demanded.

"Of course," Kabuto said with a smirk. "I wouldn't want to interrupt you two getting to know each other." With one final push of his glasses Kabuto shut the door. The room was instantly silent and awkward. Midoriko paid no attention to Sasuke, she listened to see if Kabuto had really left.

"As if they stuck me in here with _you_," Midoriko said with a frown as she looked towards Sasuke. She lifted her finger to her ear and then pointed to the door. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"If you don't get in my way, I wont kill you," Sasuke snarled.

"Temper, temper," Midoriko cooed. "You should work on that, no wonder Hikari left you. You're an asshole." Sasuke narrowed his eyes and he was in front of her in less than a second, holding her to the door by her throat. Midoriko winced as she continued to listen and then relaxed when she heard Kabuto retreat. Sasuke let go off her and watched as she fell to the ground, coughing and holding her throat.

"If you ever talk to me like that again, I-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Midoriko said as she rubbed her throat with her hand. "You'll murder me and then sit there pondering how to clean the mess up; I _know_…" Sasuke stared at her, and he realised where Hikari got her sense of humour; this girl was so much like Hikari it wasn't even funny, she was almost her mirror in so many ways. Midoriko wore an emerald green silk kimono that split in the front. Underneath she wore black tights that came to her knee and then green ninja sandals on her feet. She had a weapons pouch, kunai holder and a village identification headband on her person as well. However, Midoriko was also Hikari's opposite at the same time.

"Where did Hikari go?" Sasuke asked in a deadly whisper as he knelt down in front of Midoriko and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look into his Sharingan eyes. Midoriko glared. "_Where _did she go?" Midoriko suddenly smirked triumphantly.

"She did mention wanting to do something before we departed," Midoriko said in a taunting tone. "Do you want to know, Sa-su-ke?" His eyes were suddenly ablaze as he mustered the fiercest glare he could and let a growl pass through his lips. "Well, she told me she wanted to know if it was possible that Haruo Uchiha was alive, so she said she wanted to talk to the man who supposedly took his life. Strange, right~?"


	9. The Ninth Passage

_**The Ninth Passage:**_

"It's so cold here," Hikari uttered as she folded her arms.

"Perhaps if you wore warmer attire, kid," Kisame said with a smirk. "We are in the colder regions of the world."

"Well, I don't have warmer clothes," Hikari hissed through her teeth. Itachi sighed as he turned away from the group and walked to one of the stands in the village they walked through. He purchased something and then returned with it, tossing the lump of fabric towards Hikari. She caught it and then tugged on the black traveler's cloak. It wasn't much, but she was thankful nonetheless.

"It seems like Itachi has a soft spot for his little brother's girl," Kisame said as he smiled widely, showing his pointed teeth.

"It makes things harder on me if she dies or becomes incapacitated," Itachi said impassively. "She is a potential Akatsuki member for the future, leader would not be happy with me if she were to die. I'd prefer to just buy her a cloak."

"I'm not Sasuke's girlfriend," Hikari sneered.

"But you were," Kisame said with his usual smirk. "And that's enough to cause us trouble." Hikari rolled her eyes and purposefully sped up to walk in front of the two Akatsuki members. "So, what are we looking for, Itachi?"

"A mansion."

"Like that one?" Hikari asked pointing to a Japanese-styled mansion on a hill overlooking the small village.

"Yes, that one…"

…

Since Hikari had returned from Konoha she had gained skill in analyzing others. She was able to read into someone just by their stride and expression, and she had been trying to do this to Itachi all afternoon. However, the stoic individual was difficult to read, though she understood one thing about him; his impassiveness was fake. Though hidden, he was not merciless like others made him out to be. He wouldn't have gone through the trouble to save her so many times if he was incapable of showing mercy to others. However, she also noticed that there was something off about the way he looked at her, curiosity was buried deep within. Despite this, she also sensed that he had something in plan for her, but she could not determine that through the way he looked at her. No, she was not nearly that skilled. Surprisingly, Hikari learned a lot about how to analyze people from a shinobi that was previously apart of her village, Shiori Takahashi.

"Shiori Takahashi?" Hikari uttered as she looked ahead. "_I wonder what happened to her_…" A movement caught Hikari's eyes and they directed towards Itachi. It was just a flicker of emotion, something that the untrained eye would have never caught, but Hikari could have sworn when she uttered her fellow Sound shinobi's name, Itachi had tensed. "_Did he know her_?" Hikari cast away her thought. "_That's impossible. Shiori went missing last year after Orochimaru found out she was a…spy…_" Her eyes shifted to Itachi as she faltered. "_An Akatsuki spy_?" Hikari pouted and sighed. "_I can't even ask. Stupid fish-man_…" Hikari looked back at Itachi again. "_Whatever it is that's he's hiding, it's big…_"

…

"Step aside," Midoriko demanded. Sasuke didn't move despite her 'request'. "_Now_."

"You heard what Kabuto said last month," he said smugly. "I'm not allowed to let you go anywhere _alone_…However, we're going to take a little trip. You're going to track down Hikari for me and then lead me to her."

"Duck-ass says what?" Midoriko asked with a raised brow. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I regret to tell you that I must decline your request. You see, stalking is not healthy, Sasuke…" Midoriko went to move past him and out the door, but he blocked her once again. "Look, if you don't move, I _will_ go all teenage-girl syndrome on you…Sa-su-ke-kun~"

"Take me to Hikari," he hissed.

"Do I look like a dog to you? I can't just suddenly sniff her out for you. I'm not even a tracking ninja. If you wanted her here so damn badly, maybe you shouldn't have left her in the first place," Midoriko said as she put her hands on her hips. "You may think you're the shit, but when it comes down to it you're desperate to get your hands on her…erm, see her. Do _not_ think you're the one with the power and control here."

"My patients for you is running to an end," he uttered in a snarl as he activated his Sharingan. Her pupils dilated as the pins started to spin and she found her consciousness had been taken from her. Sasuke picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. "I am the one who is in control, annoying bitch…"

…

"So we aren't going back to the hideout?" Hikari asked Kisame with a raised brow.

"Teams are rarely at the hideout," Kisame said with a smirk. "We usually just send back the things we retrieve through Jutsu most of the time and continue on to gather more information. However, the overall goal of these teams is to catch their Jinchuuriki. Itachi and I have yet to obtain ours." Hikari never asked Itachi for answers, mainly because he creeped her out; however, she still found it amusing that she'd rather talk to a man who looked like a shark than the infamous Uchiha. Despite being afraid of her own master, she was starting to feel a little better now that she had been travelling with the two S-ranked criminals; she would even go as far to say that Kisame almost made her feel like family. It was weird, he never said anything like that, but he never treated her badly and it was clear to her that he'd protect her if the need arose. Despite everything that had went wrong for her lately, she was starting to feel like she was recovering. Perhaps she would even smile one day again; though she kind of doubted that.

"Where are we going to next?" she asked to no one in general, but knew that one of them would answer.

"I'm going back to the hideout," Kisame put in with a smile.

"But you just said-"

"I said usually," he corrected. "However, this scroll has importance and must be hand-delivered."

"Oh…"

"You and I will be continuing to travel and collect intelligence," Itachi informed. "The leader wishes for your analytical skills to improve, so he has given us several missions to do so. Kisame will regroup with us eventually…" Hikari swallowed the lump in her throat and meekly nodded. Kisame let out a booming laugh.

"She's afraid of you, Itachi!"

"I am not," Hikari snapped. "I just hate Itachi-sama's training…" Hikari suddenly felt a cold glare from the elder Uchiha. "Uh, not that I'm not grateful or anything…" Kisame let out another laugh.

"I will be back in a couple of weeks, try not to kill the kid, Itachi." "I'm not too sure he can promise anything…"


	10. The Tenth Passage

_**The Tenth Passage:**_

"What are you planning?" Pein asked the masked man in front of him. Madara sat in Pein's desk, looking more than comfortable.

"I'm just playing a small game with Itachi," Madara said with a shrug as he looked up at one of his faithful pawns. "That's all…"

"What's the point?" Pein asked in a drawl. "Don't we have more important things to do?"

"I am not ready to start my plans for the shinobi world yet. I still need to collect a few people. However, how else am I to cure my boredom? You cannot expect me to sit around and do nothing, right?" Madara smirked under his mask. "When one has lived as long as I have, boredom is not an option. I might as well make use of my time. The longer you live, the more you will come to realise that time shouldn't be wasted. The older you grow, the more you wish to live. It's as simple as that. I do not _waste_ my time…"

"Why go through all this trouble when he probably won't get around to finishing this 'game' with you?" Pein asked as he folded his arm and looked outside at the rolling storm-grey clouds. "He's a dying man..."

"At this point in time, Itachi is my only worthy adversary…" Pein didn't respond to Madara, nor did he look away from the rain that had started to fall. "I'm just patiently waiting for his next move. I cannot wait to see what he does with the girl I've handed him on practically a silver platter…"

"He won't do anything with her," Pein said with a frown.

"He will, he wants to torture his brother…The Koizumi is the key to that torture…He won't be able to resist…Temptation is the weakness that all humans will fall to at some point, I'm just waiting for him to fall."

"You're wasting your time."

…

"So…" Hikari said awkwardly. "You're pretty okay for a murderer…If that makes any sense…" Itachi looked at her, his expression not visibly wavering from its usual harsh and cold stare; nevertheless, Hikari Koizumi was something else, she was becoming less afraid of him every second and more curious. "If it's ok for me to ask this, do you ever miss your life in Konoha? Do you miss how it was before everything happened to you?"

"_Happened to me_?" Itachi thought with a sigh. "I murdered them. Nothing happened to me, I happened to them."

"You don't like making conversation, do you?" Hikari asked with a sigh. "You brother didn't either; if that's ok for me to say."

"You should not restrict yourself on what you feel others want to hear," Itachi murmured. "That would get you nowhere…" Hikari averted her eyes to her left hand and examined the tattoo-like marking on her palm.

"Itachi-sama, what have I gotten myself into?" she sighed as she looked up at the back of his head. "Madara does not seem like a decent human being…"

"Madara is an old and bitter loser," Itachi stated harshly. "You've devoted yourself as his pawn for information he probably doesn't even have. You're a fool."

"Kind words," Hikari said as she rolled her eyes. "It's just so weird that I thought I was so much better than Sasuke when I practically turned around and repeated his mistake…You're right. I am a fool, but hey, at least one of us can admit that…" Hikari looked at him for a long while before continuing. "I bet you're wondering why I even agreed to this for some stupid information on an Uchiha…" Itachi didn't answer, however, that didn't stop her from talking. Even though he seemed like a generally grouchy person, she felt comfortable talking to him; well, more of talking at him, he didn't actually hold conversation very often. "Haruo was my mother's fiancé before Orochimaru raped her. Haruo was going to raise me as his child but then my father kidnapped her and stole my life away…I want to know what my _real_ father would have been like…"

"Dwelling on that fact will achieve nothing for you," Itachi said coldly. "Haruo isn't your father and sooner or later you will have to come to terms with the fact that you are the daughter of one of the most hated shinobi in the world…Wishing you knew Haruo will do nothing but bring you bitter feelings towards your life." Itachi paused for a moment. "Dwelling on the past makes it impossible to move forwards." Hikari closed her eyes and stopped moving.

"The problem is that I don't have anything to move forwards to," Hikari uttered quietly as rain suddenly started to fall from the sky and drench her to the bone. "I don't see a future for myself, Itachi-sama. I am in an organization of rouge S-ranked criminals and under the control of Madara Uchiha; I see no help for a future or myself. All I have is my memories…"

"We should find shelter," Itachi said quietly as he looked at her from the corner of his eyes; he could not help but take in her beauty. Sasuke had chosen well.

"Yeah, I'm getting cold…" she stated with a frown, not feeling satisfied with their 'conversation'. Itachi took the lead and led the way to a cave about a mile north from where they were. When they arrived, they gathered things for a fire. Hikari used her water manipulation to draw the water from the wood and dry it. She set the fire up and then let Itachi light it. She sighed as she took two sticks with 'v' points at the top and then drove them into the ground. Next she put a stick on top of them horizontally and then took off her cloak and hung it on her creation to dry next to the fire. She knew the cloak was too heavy to dry on the ground like her other clothing. She also shed her overcoat and then her white baggy shirt, laying them on the ground next to the fire. She was in nothing but her mesh shirt, Capri's and skirt now.

"Sorry about that," she muttered. "But they're soaked and I am not wearing wet clothes." Hikari walked away from the fire and towards the opening of the cave where she wrung her hair out. "I'm also not wasting chakra to dry them…"

"Your curse mark…It's different…" Itachi stated.

"It's purple because I pour my own chakra into it and make it so I control it," Hikari said with boredom laced in her tones. "I overpower it because I refuse to be controlled by it…"

"Interesting…" Itachi finished his thought mentally. "_She doesn't realise that the fact that she is able to control the mark like that means she has outgrown her father's influence and surpassed him as a shinobi._"

"Not really," Hikari said with a sigh as she walked back to the fire and sat down. "You're more interesting than I am. You killed your entire clan, yet you seem to care about me…Well I wouldn't say care about me, more of that you care about my wellbeing. I get the sense you wouldn't let anything bad happen to me while you're around…" It was a statement of a fact, no implications by emotions or anything from her tone. She was just talking to him. Itachi stared into her eyes for a long while, watching the fire make her skin warmly glow and her eyes shine with flickering light. Hikari began to feel squeamish; maybe she had finally said the wrong thing to him; he had never just so bluntly stared at her before.

She knew it was cliché, but she loved looking into his eyes because of how _alive _it made her feel; he could easily kill her that instant, but he didn't and she loved the risk it provided. She loved the way Itachi made her insides squirm. It wasn't a far fetch that she loved the adrenaline that shot through her veins when he lightly touched a feathery kiss to her lips. A kiss that felt so wrong, but so right. A kiss that she would regret but couldn't get enough of.

…

"Aren't you an avenging angel or something stupid like that?" Midoriko asked as she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. If she knew where she was, she would have just went home. "Why in the world is Hikari so damn important to you?" Sasuke didn't answer her, which was expected. "Look, you're dragging me with you. You might as well explain some things to me. Maybe I won't hate you so much."

"I don't owe you anything," Sasuke hissed.

"So my offer of friendship has been declined?" Midoriko asked with a sigh. "Hey, I tried being friendly to you…" Midoriko put her hands behind her head. "So…I'm guessing the only reason you care is because she is near your brother? Are you the 'I-don't-want-her-but-no-one-else-can-have-her' type? Or is it just because it's your brother? I guess it would be hard to see him take _everything_…"

"If you know what's good for you, you'll shut up," Sasuke said in an irritated tone.

"Why should I? You're the one dragging me around. I say you should have to deal with my annoyances…You're not even willing to talk to me about why you want her so damn badly. It just doesn't make sense. You're revenge bent and only have bonds with your brother…Bonds of hatred…" Midoriko mocked as she put her hand to her chin as she started to ponder. "Or is it that you figured out you didn't have to sever your ties with her? You figured out that she was from the Sound all along."

"I severed my ties with Hikari because I wanted to protect her," Sasuke said quietly. "She doesn't need protection now."

"Oh yes she does," Midoriko said with a shrug. "She needs it from _you_." Sasuke turned to face her with a glare. "You can't even imagine the severe emotional trauma you've cause. If you haven't figured it out, she has severe abandonment issues. You abandoned her once before, and she wasn't going to let it happen again. This is pointless. You're wasting your time."

"What do you know, huh!"

"I've known Hikari for a long time…I also know that you ruined my friend. I'm just stating a fact that maybe you should acknowledge that the ship you seek has sailed…" Midoriko looked at Sasuke with sad eyes. "Chasing after it will only make you drown…" Midoriko sighed. "It's going to rain, perhaps we should at least break and find shelter." Sasuke looked up at the sky and saw that she was correct; the clouds were swelling and turning darker shades of grey as seconds went on.

"No, let's go on…We're close."


	11. The Eleveth Passage

_**The Eleventh Passage:**_

Hikari could not sleep or do anything with herself at the moment. Itachi had left, scouting for enemies. He had told her to rest, but she couldn't when she thought of his breath fanning over her lips and his intoxicating crimson eyes. His presence would not leave her mind at peace, all she could dwell on was _why_ he had done what he did. He was a cold and ruthless killer. Itachi Uchiha did not just show affection like that. She had known him for little over a month, however, she was no better at figuring him out than when she had first arrived. He was the most complex person she had every come face-to-face with. No kiss in all her history had every bothered her this much, and it wasn't because of the mysteriousness, it was because she wanted another; little did she know that was Itachi's plan for her. Her eyes stared into the glowing embers as she bit her lip; it would be obvious to Midoriko, or even Sasuke, that something was bothering her greatly. She sighed and looked at her left palm, studying the mark.

"There's a way not do as he says." Itachi's voice startled her, she hadn't even heard him enter the cave.

"What?" she asked as she looked down at the kanji for obedience.

"There is a way to technically break that Jutsu," he rephrased his sentence, his tone no less cold than before.

"By 'technically' you mean that it won't really be broken," she instigated with a raised brow. Itachi sighed quietly.

"Yes. However, before I bother telling you, are you willing to push past your limits even if it will kill you?"

"What other choice do I have?" Hikari asked as she sat up quickly, anxious for an answer. "Of course I would. It's either die or do what he says. I would choose to risk my death if it means liberation." Itachi did not respond for a long while, he stared into her eyes, with his own impassive ones, as if searching for something in their depths; it reminded Hikari of the previous night when he had kissed her so briefly and then demanded that she tell nobody. She suspected that he was only telling her this because she could learn to lie to and defy Madara, therefore, she could never report what happened the previous night. She was sure that Itachi thought of Madara as a dangerous enemy. Itachi averted his eyes to the embers and stared into their glowing depths before he began again.

"It is achieved by simply pushing as far as you can with your time limit. At this moment you have about a minute to perform an order before you die. However, when it comes to your next order, wait the entire minute until you are on the brink of death and then perform the order. You will find that your time limit expands by a few seconds each time you do this…" Itachi looked into her eyes again. "It is also possible to lie, but you must be able to lie well before you try it. Madara must be satisfied with your answer for the mark to stop killing you."

"Is there any way to practice this with you before I try it on Madara?" Hikari asked timidly. "Madara did give me certain orders to obey you, correct?"

"The only way to do that would be to order you to do things within the limits Madara put on my authority," Itachi said passively. "I would have to ask you things about Sasuke…" Hikari flinched, she didn't want to remember Sasuke anymore. She had actually forgot about him for a small amount of time and was beginning to feel a little better now that the burden had been removed. However, she had to consider this like training.

"If it's alright with you," she said slowly. "I want to do this to get better." Itachi looked outside and took note to the fact that the storm had not subsided yet. The only sound in the cave was the occasional pop of the coals in the fire pit.

"I have to be satisfied with your answer, so if you answer and the mark doesn't stop burning, you should tell the truth or another lie. However, for now do not wait until the last second. It could kill you." Hikari nodded. "How did you first meet Sasuke?" Hikari paused as the mark started to burn. She tried to remember how and found that it was at the Academy. She was forced to sit next to him.

"I met him when Naruto dragged me to meet Sakura. Sakura was attempting to talk to him."

"Where did this happen?"

Hikari said the first thing that came to mind. "The ramen shop." The mark did not stop burning.

"I know my brother quite well Hikari, he wouldn't eat ramen with that girl willingly," Itachi said with narrowed eyes.

"He was there with their sensei. It turns out they were meeting for a mission and I was to accompany their team." The mark stopped.

"Share your most guarded memory with me," Itachi whispered in her ear. He had appeared behind her and she felt his breath fan onto her neck; he wasn't going to make lying to him easy. Before Hikari could start, someone coughed. She blinked and looked up to see Midoriko at the entrance of the cave. Before Midoriko could move an inch, Itachi was behind her holding a kunai knife to her neck.

"Wait!" Hikari yelled, however the mark on her hand was still burning; she decided not to lie. "My most guarded memory is when my father had me beaten for insubordination!" The mark stopped burning and she ran forwards. "Don't kill her! She's not a foe." Hikari ran up to him and pushed his hand away. "She's my team-mate. The one I thought was dead. What are you doing here?"

"I don't have much time, but Sasuke's lost it. He kidnapped me and forced me to bring him here. He's in a cave not to far from this one resting. I convinced him the storm was dangerous. However, he's determined to find you, Hikari."

"Why?" Hikari asked with a glare.

"I may of told him you wanted to find his brother out of spite," Midoriko said with a sheepish grin. "Orochimaru locked me up with him! By the way, who is this guy you're getting comfy with?"

"That's Sasuke's brother," Hikari said through gritted teeth. "If you didn't notice, I'm kind of with the Akatsuki now. Not really by choice. I cannot tell you why however."

"Why!" Midoriko demanded. Hikari lifted her palm, however, she could not speak. The mark was searing and didn't allow her too. After a few seconds had passed and it was clear Hikari wouldn't answer, the mark didn't glow anymore.

"She's been bound to me," Itachi said coldly. "I suggest you leave before I kill you."

"I have to tell her a few things," Midoriko said with a frown. She looked back towards Hikari. "Orochimaru's after you. He wants you back badly. I overheard Kabuto saying they were going to lure you back. No matter what you hear do _not_ return." Midoriko sighed. "I'm lucky Sasuke hasn't a clue of my Jutsu or I would have never been able to hide this place…Or come find you…"

"Hide?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, I covered this area in forest. The trees are so tight outside Sasuke won't try to get past them. However, I want you two to get moving, fast. Wherever you're going, go. Hopefully Orochimaru comes looking for us and we have to return…" Hikari frowned, but before she could answer Itachi rushed forwards and killed her. Despite Hikari seeing her throat tear open, the clone turned to wood and dropped to the ground. Itachi raised a slim brow.

"She's the first Hokage's relative. Orochimaru kidnapped her at a young age. She inherited the first's Jutsu."

"She's a threat," Itachi stated coldly.

"No, she's faithfully loyal to me," Hikari uttered quietly. "She has always said she owed her allegiance to her clan. She was faithful to my mother and now me. I guess she went back to keep tabs on Orochimaru…"

"We should continue to the village we're supposed to steal information from," Itachi said stoically. "Having Orochimaru in this mission could compromise your life and Madara would not be happy."

"Isn't that what you want though?" Hikari asked quietly as she looked up at him. "To make Madara unhappy?"

"It's not worth your life," Itachi uttered. "I have different plans in mind to make his life miserable…" Hikari frowned, she had a feeling they related to her. "Let's go."

"Got it," Hikari said as she threw on her now dry clothing. After buttoning up the cloak she wore, she followed him out of the exit and up the cliff-side.


	12. The Twelfth Passage

_**The Twelfth Passage:**_

Over the next few weeks, Hikari had gotten letters from Midoriko; how she had managed to send them to Hikari without getting caught was beyond her. Itachi had demanded that they start to return to the Akatsuki and turn in the information they had found, which is something Hikari did not want to do. She hated Madara and didn't want to be anywhere near him if it could save her from being bossed around. Despite her fear, she was happy she had a small hope of defense against him because she had been practicing lying and extending her time limit with Itachi whenever she could. However, Itachi had warned her that this training method was flawed and it was very likely that Madara was prepared for such defiance. Itachi had told her to be extra careful around the old Uchiha.

Looking at the back of Itachi's head, her mind returned to the night that he had brushed his lips against hers; she was starting to believe she had imagined it because he never acted as if anything had happened between them. Itachi was always cold and stoic. The only things that convinced her otherwise was the fact that he spoke in soft tones to her, that lacked his usual impassive, bored, cold, or demanding tones, and the fact that he had made it very clear that no one was to ever know about their encounter. Itachi was very different from anyone she had ever met and his advance confused Hikari. She did not know what to think about it, he showed no emotions like he cared for her, yet he didn't reject her and he seemed to be close enough to keep a watchful eye on her. It was nothing like the way Sasuke had treated her, so she was unsure of how to handle it. Yes, Hikari had never encountered a man quite like Itachi before.

"When we return, it would be sensible to act like you fear me," Itachi spoke as he glanced at her from aside. "It would make Madara less inclined to believe that I have helped you in any way."

"Okay," Hikari breathed. "Itachi?" He looked over his shoulder at her as he slowed to a stop. She also halted as she hesitated and then felt her courage fall. She stammered and then looked away. "It's nothing." Itachi looked away from her and began walking again.

"It would be best not to make your thoughts obvious like that in front of the enemy," Itachi stated. She watched him walk for a moment, and then started to follow behind him.

"_But I'm not so sure you're my enemy_…"

…

"So, you've returned," Madara said as he circled Hikari as if she were prey.

"Yes," she said quietly.

"Has she progressed at all?" Madara directed his face towards Itachi, who stood at the far corner of the leader's office.

"She has begun to improve in Taijutsu. I recommend she trains with other members to get a feel for defensive skills she needs to develop, especially Sasori; someone who will teach her to dodge attacks rather than let them hit her. She never seems to spare a thought towards what the damage could do to her. I believe this will greatly improve Hikari's speed of learning and skill in Taijutsu as well."

"You're a cruel man," Madara said with a chuckle. "You want to poison the child to teach her self-preservation?"

"I remind you that it was you who told me to make sure she didn't die, I am simply fulfilling my task in the quickest manner, as you requested," Itachi replied coolly. Again, Hikari sensed a battle between them; she couldn't see it, but she knew they were both aware of it. They exchanged polite words, but they wanted to rip each other's throats out, she could see it in the way they looked at each other; glares full of contempt and the ominous silence that fell when they did. Hikari hesitantly looked at Itachi and bit her lip, she didn't like the look in his eyes; it was murderous.

"I shall arrange the training session with Sasori. You may go until I call upon you," Madara said to both of them. Hikari bowed and then followed Itachi out of the room. She felt nervous with the way Itachi stalked towards their shared living space; it wasn't very hard for her to see he was not in the most pleasant mood. However, she was also very good at reading most people. She was lucky she could even pick this up off of Itachi. Once they were inside the room Itachi checked around the area and relaxed when he noticed Kisame was absent. He unbuttoned his cloak and then brought it to his room. Hikari walked to her own room and then removed her cloak, placing it on her bed afterwards. She sighed when she looked down and saw that her belongings, which were brought to the hideout, were still unpacked. She pulled a framed photo from within the bag and frowned, it was the only picture she had kept of her and Sasuke; she couldn't bear to get rid of it. It was one of the good memories she wanted to hold onto. He was slightly embarrassed and she was kissing his cheek. Kakashi had taken the photo when Sasuke wasn't watching and Hikari treasured it. However, there was a dark reminder of her past inside of the frame behind the photo; Sasuke's letter. She placed the picture face-down on the desk and then returned to the bag, unpacking rest of her belongings. She placed her scrolls and books on the shelf to her right and then put her extra clothes in the closet next to the bathroom door. She had to move past the fact that she would be staying with the Akatsuki for a long time. How long, she wasn't sure of.

Hikari couldn't deny it, she missed Konoha and most of all, Sasuke; she had never truly been away from him since she had met him and it was beginning to become difficult to pretend otherwise.

"Hikari." she jumped when she heard Itachi's voice address her. She looked up at him and was a little surprised that she hadn't noticed how pale he was earlier. He had dark rings around his eyes which made him look really tired. Her hand started to burn.

"Here," she said as she bit into her thumb and drew blood. "You need this." Itachi did not object when she hesitantly put her thumb to his lips. She closed her eyes as she felt him draw the digit into his mouth and lightly suck on the skin. She willed the blood to rapidly heal him in order to give him instant relief; she imagined he may be in pain.

"Itachi?" she asked timidly. "Just what are you sick with?"

"That is none of your concern," he murmured as he moved away from her thumb. However, he didn't drop her hand from his and he began to stare intensely into her eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat when he began to draw closer to her.

…

Itachi liked Hikari's eyes. They always looked innocent when she was around him; he often thought of them to be like a child's eyes. Perhaps it was because she was nothing but a child when compared to the other Akatsuki members and the things that they had done; what he had done. Her eyes were violet and timid, yet they often shined with curiosity when she was around Itachi. He knew she wanted to know more about him but was just too afraid to ask.

He was beginning to become irascible when it came to Madara controlling everything Hikari did; however, he was very careful not to let it slip past his façade. He didn't like that she was undeniably afraid of his reaction every time she was forced to offer her blood to him; he didn't like that she was undeniably afraid of _him_. He was also beginning to dislike the way Madara treated Hikari like she was a walking cure for his sickness. Despite being initially displeased with Hikari's entrance into the Akatsuki, he was beginning to know for certain that his use for her would work very well to his advantage. The fact that Sasuke had so recklessly left Orochimaru's hideout, with the enemy no less, to find Hikari proved just how much his planned actions would infuriate the young Uchiha; he needed this for his plan to succeed. This would be his final betrayal of Sasuke, the one that would finally send his little brother over the edge and would grant him the death he longed for. However, he was displeased that Sasuke had chosen a Koizumi and he had to plan this out under Madara's rules because Hikari was forced to heal him every day at least once, he couldn't just let her die. He didn't know the effect she would have on his disease. Hikari blinked at him as he let her thumb drop from his mouth. Itachi looked into her eyes, staring into her aching heart with knowing eyes; he knew from the moment he looked into their depths that she missed his younger brother. It occurred to him that she did truly love Sasuke, despite claiming to hate him because he had hurt her. Itachi leaned towards her and breathed in her scent; she smelled like tuberoses with a hint of sandalwood. It was intoxicating and very suiting to her character. Hikari was lost in his eyes, looking into their onyx depths trying to understand the enigmatic man in front of her. Itachi closed the space between them and pushed her slowly against the wall, trapping her with his body.

…

The kiss was like liquid fire spreading through her veins. It left her fingertips with a wonderful tingling sensation as she tangled them into his silky tresses, enjoying his lips, despite the fact that they were slightly chapped from their recent trip. Hikari could no longer think straight, all she could think about was about how she wanted more and the fact that nothing _hurt_ anymore. She pulled his hair free from its elastic, and then pressed her lips against his in a more urgent fashion. He pressed her harder into the wall leaving her lips to trail kisses down her neck, only to have her scent invade him even more. It was driving him crazy. Hikari drew in desperate gulps of air to her lungs before her breath hitched when he brushed over the more sensitive part of her neck. Her eyes wandered to the window and then eventually landed on the overturned picture of her and Sasuke. Guilt spread through her body, putting out the fires, in an instant. She pushed him away and then collapsed to the floor, feeling sudden tears come on and run down her cheeks. Itachi looked towards where she had been looking and saw the picture frame; he didn't have to guess to know what it was judging by her reaction. A door inside of the apartment banged closed and both of them knew Kisame had returned. Without any words, Itachi walked towards their conjoined bathroom and then entered his own room, leaving her still sobbing quietly to herself. Hikari thought about the way Sasuke would have reacted if he had seen that and the way she wanted more of Itachi's soft caresses. She forced herself to breath and then shakily stood to her feet and walked to her bed, where she collapsed again. All she wanted to do was forget about Sasuke and move on; she knew that would be a useless task in the end. She would never forget the way Sasuke had once held her so affectionately in his arms. It was in that moment that she realized she was truly damaged and that she wasn't sure she could be fixed.

_I wanted to shout-out a special thanks to Caeleste who gave me an amazing review. I appreciate all reviews, but unfortunately, the site wouldn't let me respond to the review that was left by Caeleste, so I decided to leave a thank you in my next chapter. I really appreciated the review and it made me happy that you liked my story so much! I hope you continue to enjoy the story. _

_Also, Thanks to anyone who has left a review in the past few weeks. I have been without a computer for awhile, so I was unable to respond. I figured I would leave it to the end. Thanks so much! Reviews and feedback means the world to me~_

_-Karnia_


	13. The Thirteenth Passage

_**The Thirteenth Passage:**_

"Sora," Madara said with a smirk.

"I did what you told me!" Sora yelled as he threw the closest object nearest him and watched as it shattered when it hit the wall. "I killed that girl! Stop it! I won't do what you say!" Madara didn't cease smirking, in fact, it only grew.

"Oh but you will do what I say," Madara said in a taunting tone. "That mark on your hand is going to kill you if you don't."

"Then I will die!" Again, Madara's smirk grew.

"I have a feeling you won't want to do that either, you see, if you die, Hikari will die too."

"You lie!" Sora yelled as he lunged at the man.

"I do not," Madara said as he caught the younger shinobi's wrist and held him in place. "Both you and Hikari share that marking. Your lives are linked. If you die, she dies." Sora faltered. "This is an order, Sora; I want you to travel the world searching for Koizumi villages and burn them all to the ground. Do not leave any survivors. You are to feel hatred towards Hikari and slaughter any woman who bears a resemblance to her in order to fuel your rage." Sora's eyes widened as the mark on his hand started to glow. His eyes glazed over and then he was suddenly washed in new feelings of sick hatred. Sora turned away from him and walked to the door of his home. "Why, where are you going, Sora?" Sora frowned.

"I have to find the Koizumi."

"Do you realize there are three of them in town? Daisuke Koizumi and his wife live with your former sensei. The best weapons shop is run by a Koizumi. I want them all dead before you leave." Sora began to walk again. "And another thing, Sora, you are never tell Hikari that we know each other. If you confront her, you are doing this because you hate her and you hate Sasuke. That reminds me, when you're done cleansing the first Koizumi village you find, I want you to seek out Sasuke Uchiha and challenge him. When he has almost killed you, I want you to tell him that your life is linked to Hikari's and then show him the mark on your hand." Madara smirked again. "And when he asks you where Hikari is, I want you to tell him she is living happily with his older brother and mention that she's pregnant…"

"Are you trying to get me killed?" Sora asked bitterly.

"No, I'm just trying to make the game more interesting…"

…

"He's trying to murder me!" Hikari yelled to Itachi as she quickly dodged another one of the sets of poisoned needles Sasori launched at her. She thought her and Itachi had start to gain a connection, but she threw that thought out the window when he made her run enough laps around the clearing so she was about to fall over and then instructed her to dodge poisonous needles. "Never mind! You're trying to murder me!" She could have sworn that out of the corner of her eyes she saw him smirk, but she couldn't really think much about it because she had to throw herself to the side in order to dodge more poisoned needles. She landed on the ground with a painful thud and before she could get up, she was barraged with more needles, many of them sticking into her arms and legs.

"That's enough," Sasori said as he tossed Itachi a vial of clear liquid. "That's my last batch of antidote for today. She's lucky; she only got hit three times."

"The leader says it isn't enough until she doesn't get hit at all," Itachi said coldly as he walked up to her and poured the liquid into her mouth. She looked at him with appreciative eyes. "However, we have done enough today. Maybe she will understand that there are more serious risks out there that she cannot fend off by just healing herself."

"I know for a fact she could heal that poison because of the fact that it wouldn't be able to attack her immune system like it's supposed to if she really wanted to stop it," Sasori said in a drawl. "I gave her the antidote just in case though." Hikari shakily stood to her feet and b0wed to Sasori.

"Thank you for training me, Master Sasori," Hikari said politely.

"Why is it that you always get the subordinates and team mates who are appropriately respectful? Deidara could learn a lot from this little girl," Sasori said with a roll of his eyes. "He acts half his age and yet she is more respectful." Hikari didn't really know if it was a compliment, so she didn't say anything.

"Well, uh, bye?" Hikari turned towards Itachi and followed him into the hideout. She realised that she was becoming painfully obedient towards him, loyal to him. It hurt her as much as it benefited her. She sighed as she looked at the back of his head. Somewhere, deep inside, she knew she still wished she was with Sasuke, but somewhere deeper, she also knew that she loved the thrill of being in the Akatsuki, defying her father and staring into Itachi's enigmatic eyes. After analysing him for over a month, she knew that was something off to him but couldn't even begin to figure out what it was.

…

Midoriko had been spying on Hikari for the last two weeks. She snuck out at the dead of night and left a clone of herself, an undetectable one. As skilled as Sasuke was, he was quite easy to get away from; however, a part of her wondered if it was because she wasn't the one he wanted around. She knew by the way that Sasuke acted that he held a deep love for Hikari, so it made her stomach churn when she would look through a window, or peek around a hallway and see Hikari trailing behind his older brother like a lost puppy. It was worse when she would glance at them kissing; it struck her as so _wrong_. Midoriko wasn't the one to get into other people's romantic lives, but something seemed off about the way Itachi looked at Hikari, or touched her, it was as if she was a tool. He held her just right in order to get his desired outcome, not because he loved her. Midoriko also wondered if perhaps she saw this because she was used to thinking of Itachi as a ruthless killer. Midoriko didn't see that side of him, she saw a very broken man whenever she looked at him. He was good at hiding it, but when he thought he was alone she saw the truly painful look in his eyes, like his soul had been split in half. Perhaps Hikari was good for him and it wasn't careful handling of a tool she saw, but the handling of a man who thought Hikari would shatter if he touched her any differently. Midoriko was good at stealth and she knew the key to seeing these things was to remain at a distance and gain information. Don't get close. It was a mistake many analytical shinobi had made. Both Midoriko and Hikari were taught by the best of the best, Shiori Takahashi, on the special request of Hikari's mother. Midoriko remembered everything she had been taught and it was the best way to study Hikari and Itachi from a distance.

Nevertheless, Midoriko still thought it was wrong of Hikari to do what she was doing when she knew full well that Sasuke still loved her. Maybe it was because Midoriko had begun to feel something for the younger Uchiha; she didn't feel it was fair for Hikari to have both of them wrapped around her fingers. She was a Koizumi too and she wanted the younger Uchiha to herself; but it was more than that. Midoriko knew that Sasuke could protect her from all that was truly terrible in her life; Kabuto's constant advances and the fact that the man who had raped her multiple times still lingered in Orochimaru's hideout, she knew that Sasuke could help her when it came to that man. He could do what she couldn't. Midoriko felt disgusted with herself that she didn't even know her abuser's name. She felt that was the reason Hikari's mother sympathised with her and chose her as Hikari's team mate. She remembered that once upon a time, Shizuka had hated her. It was when Shizuka had found out what that man was doing to her that she had begun to take a liking to Midoriko, and it was then that the abuse stopped. Midoriko felt a tear slip down her cheek when she remembered the fact that the night Shizuka died, he came to her room and it all started again. It was true that Midoriko couldn't protect herself from him because this had been happening since she was twelve years old. She knew she was more powerful than he was, but he frightened her. She was relieved that Hikari knew nothing of her pain; it would only hurt Hikari knowing it happened to her mother and best friend, and Midoriko was okay with playing the role of the friend who listens even though she needed someone to listen to her. Shizuka had done that. Now she had no one. As Midoriko's eyes lifted to the window and she saw Itachi fiercely kiss Hikari, her stomach churned once again. Yes, she hated that Hikari had forgotten about Sasuke and he was still off limits. She needed someone to protect her too and every time she saw her friend with his brother, her need only got worse. It was at that moment that she realised that she was truly on no one's side. She cared about both of them and wanted them both to be happy. However, Midoriko also knew that both of them couldn't be happy because Hikari was falling in love with Itachi and Sasuke wanted to murder his brother. Midoriko sighed; she knew that she made herself seem like she had 'teenage-girl syndrome', however, what she really wanted was someone who could protect her from all of the darkness that lingered in her life.


	14. The Fourteenth Passage

_**The Fourteenth Passage:**_

"You want me to what?" Hikari asked with a raised brow.

"Come gamble with some of the members," Kisame said with a pointed grin. "Itachi's out and it will give you time to meet some of them before you have to train with them."

"They're all freaks aren't they?" Hikari asked as she sighed and exited the 'apartment' they shared. Kisame let out a booming laugh.

"You're so quick to be judgmental."

"I call it honesty," she said as her eyebrow twitched.

It didn't take long for them to reach the small lounge-like room the Akatsuki members used to 'socialize', if it could be called that. They sat around a large table gambling with money that was probably stolen. She recognised one person immediately and mentally swore.

"Tobi's a good boy!" She had to stop herself from allowing her jaw to fall open and saying the first sentence that came to mind, 'what the _fuck_?'

"_Has Madara lost his mind_?" Hikari pushed aside her shock when she noticed that the other members were beginning to stare because she had rooted herself to the ground.

"So this is the new junior member, un?" Hikari looked towards the source of the voice and spotted a blond.

"This may sound rude, but what sex are you? I honestly cannot tell," she stated bluntly in a flat tone. A silver haired man began to laugh along with Kisame as the blond person's eyebrow twitched and they glared at her.

"I'm a guy, yeah," he said coolly.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, that's what I thought," she said with a sigh. "I was just making sure so I didn't offend anyone."

"Isn't asking offensive?" another member asked.

"Not when it's a clan trait to be bluntly honest with people," Hikari retorted.

"Tobi doesn't know Deidara-sempai; you do kind of look girly. Tobi thinks you could be a cheerleader!" Deidara's head twitched towards Tobi and he launched his fist into the side of the masked man's face. Hikari waited for the world to end because Madara was going to freak out, but she was utterly dumbfounded when Tobi threw himself onto the floor and started to throw a tantrum. "TOBI IS A GOOD BOY! WHY DOES DEIDARA-SEMPAI HURT TOBI!"

"NO TOBI, YOU ARE NOT A GOOD BOY! DO YOU HEAR ME, UN?" Deidara screamed back.

"Kisame?" Hikari asked as she slowly blinked to make sure she wasn't imagining the scene.

"Yes?"

"Are they always like this?"

"…Yes."

"And when I asked if the rest of you guys were freaks, why didn't you say yes?" Kisame chuckled with his pointed teeth.

"Because that'd take the fun out of it, now sit down."

"I think I'm going to go back to the room, Kisame," Hikari said as she started to turn around.

"No! Tobi wants Hikari-chan to stay! Stay here, Hikari-chan!" Hikari winced mentally and closed her hand when the mark started to burn; she turned around and forced a fake smile.

"Sure why not?" Hikari knew that bastard was smirking under his mask.

"Wow, Tobi actually did something good for once, yeah," Deidara said.

"Oh you know, I have a soft spot for morons who don't know what they're getting into," Hikari said with a smile that was reminiscent of Kakashi's upturned-eye one.

"Tobi's a good boy!"

"Yes," the silver-haired man said with a sigh. "You're a fucking good boy you little asshole! You're so fucking annoying."

"What are we playing?" Hikari asked. Kisame opened his mouth to talk, but the silver-haired man cut him off.

"Are you religious?"

"Excuse me?" Hikari asked with a raised brow.

"I asked if you are fucking religious!"

"Watch out, Hidan's impatient," Kisame said.

"No, I am not," Hikari responded with a sigh.

"I have no use for a bitch like you then."

"_Excuse me_?" Kisame coughed.

"Hidan, I warn you. Hikari is three times more impatient than Sasori when she is pissed off."

"I don't care who she is, if she tries anything I'll fucking sacrifice her to Jashin!" Hidan yelled.

"Do I need to break you in half?" Hikari challenged. "Because I will if you keep pissing me off."

"Ha! Jashin makes me immortal, what the fuck do you have on your side?" Hidan challenged.

"I don't know, if you even get a drop of my blood into your body I'll destroy you from the inside out," Hikari hissed from behind him. Hidan's eyes slightly widened, he hadn't even seen her move.

"Tobi wants to play! Stop it!" Hikari narrowed her eyes at Madara. "_Tobi wants to play_." She rolled her eyes and walked back to her seat, picking up the cards Kisame had dealt while she and Hidan had tried to kill each other.

"I'll do it if you don't talk again," Hikari muttered.

"You know Deidara and Hidan by now, and Tobi because he keeps on screaming his own name-"

"TOBI IS A GOOD BOY!"

"As I was saying," Kisame said with a light glare. "That's Kakazu over there."

"Hi," Hikari said as she looked up at him briefly.

"He's the Akatsuki treasurer. He'll be the one to hand out your pay check, but I warn you, he's a penny pincher."

"So, where are you from, un?" Deidara asked as he looked at everyone's faces and then back at his hand.

"Otogakure. I did live in Konoha for a year though," Hikari said as she folded her hand.

"Oh wait, that's right, you're the Heb-something?"

"The Hebiko?" Hikari asked with a raised brow. He nodded. "Yeah that's me."

"You're Orochimaru's daughter? That must suck," Kisame said with a grin.

"I do recall him being rather weird," Kakazu said as he upped the bet.

"Yeah, that's good ol' dad for you," Hikari said with sarcasm leaking from her voice.

"And I thought my life sucked, yeah," Deidara said as he shook his head. His cerulean eye stayed focused on his cards though. "So, what was it like in Konoha? Did you know Uchiha's kid brother, yeah?"

"Yeah, I knew him quite well," Hikari said bitterly.

"What was he like?" Deidara asked as he pouted and then folded his cards when Kakazu upped the bet again.

"He's an arrogant little prick," Hikari said in a bored tone. "He's totally obsessed with killing Itachi-sama."

"That's a little harsh coming from someone in your position," Kisame said with a pointed smirk.

"Do you want to be made into sushi, Kisame?" Hikari asked as she sighed. Hikari knew Kakazu was going to win, that's why she folded early. He had an ambition for money and if he was a penny pincher, she wasn't going to hand over any extra money she had to him. "I stayed for a round. I'm out of here." Hikari stood and stretched. "It was, uh, interesting meeting you guys-"

"Bitch," Hidan said.

"Prick," Hikari retorted without a second thought. "Now I am going to bed because I have to train tomorrow. I think I'm supposed to train with some guy obsessed with bombing people. I swear, if you even so much as make my skin hot from an explosion, I will tear you to shreds. There will be no ugly scars from a careless asshole, thank you very much." Hikari turned around and briskly walked away before Madara could stop her again. That was the last time Kisame would ever convince her to play poker.

"You better watch out Deidara…"


	15. The Fifteenth Passage

_**The Fifteenth Passage:**_

Itachi had decided almost instantly that Hikari did not need to train with Deidara. When she had gone up against the blond, the week before, she was very determined not to get blown up. It was rather illogical when the situation was compared to when she trained with Itachi; she didn't want to get a scar from a bomb so she never got hit when she faced off against Deidara, yet she carelessly tried to dodge fireballs when she fought Itachi.

Itachi watched Hikari with a lifted brow as she took pictures of the rainy city from the balcony. She had no use for a camera; however, she persisted on exploring her 'hobby'. Hikari put the camera down and then sighed, returning from the balcony and into the apartment. She set it on the table.

"Afternoon," Hikari uttered.

That was another thing Itachi had noticed lately; she was becoming less afraid of him. Hikari thought of Itachi as her ally and Madara as her enemy, so she had slowly begun to trust the younger Uchiha; this was clear to Itachi. She didn't question anything he told her to do and knew he would be there to save her life if something were to go wrong. Hikari walked up to Itachi and handed him a kunai from her pouch. He mentally sighed as he took the kunai from her hand. He didn't look away from her eyes with his own smouldering ones one he lightly cut her finger open and drew blood. She winced, but then relaxed after he took the kunai away. However, she tensed again when he brought her finger to his lips. Hikari didn't know why, but to her, these were strangely intimate moments she shared with Itachi. After about a minute Hikari took her finger away and watched it as it healed.

"Are you ever going to tell me what you're sick with?"

"It doesn't matter." Even though he liked her company, his sentence still came out coolly.

"You realise I could make helping you feel better take affect a lot quicker, right?" she asked with an annoyed roll of her eyes.

"I am aware."

"You're more stubborn than a donkey. Fine, keep your secrets," Hikari said with a pout. "I didn't want to know anyways." She crossed her arms and Itachi sighed.

It was not that he didn't expect it, but he had caught her in his trap. He knew that for sure. She had slowly begun to fall in love with him, become more comfortable with him and that was exactly what he wanted to use against his brother. However, she wasn't ready for that step yet.

Itachi's world had been dark for six years now; however, Hikari provided an odd feeling for him. It wasn't light, but more like warmth. He knew that he could let himself forget for a small amount of time while she was around; Madara had made sure she was a full time job.

"We have a mission soon," Itachi said in a drawl. "The leader wants us to find someone from your clan and question them."

"Find someone from my clan?" Hikari asked with a frown. "What would he want with another Koizumi? Aren't I enough?"

"It seems that there is someone murdering members of your clan and he wants information about the culprit. The leader of a Koizumi village is our target. We must interrogate her."

"It's not the village I stayed in then is it?" Hikari asked him as she looked into his eyes.

Itachi thought that her eyes were the most beautiful thing about Hikari; they did not hide the truth when she was around him. She openly let her emotions and memories project through them. Without any effort, Hikari's eyes could show both love and hate at the same time, and he found himself wanting to look into their depths more often; he was wading in dangerous waters. Hikari was a tool, yet he caught himself thinking 'why not enjoy it while it lasts'. He had not allowed himself to get swept up in emotions in almost seven years, so he became frustrated that he was letting himself do it now.

"Hello? I asked you a question?"

"And I don't know the answer," he retorted. "I was never told the village you stayed in."

His mind returned to his previous thoughts. There was more than met the eye about his feelings towards Hikari. He knew that most of what he was now pushing down was brought on by none other than Hikari's mentor, Shiori Takahashi. He remembered her all too well. She had long silky-black tresses and glossy milk-blue eyes. Her lips were the colour of a soft pink rose-petal and her skin was the colour of cream. She had been the victim of Madara's last time-killer. Madara had found Itachi's teen-love and used her against him. Itachi had no choice but to take her life to keep his secrets safe. The world thought Itachi was an evil bastard already, but what would they think if they knew he killed a blind girl to protect his reputation? He saw her child-like eyes in Hikari and it made him sick every time he was reminded of the atrocity he had committed.

"I'm going to prepare for the mission, Itachi-sama," Hikari said with a bow of her head. "I guess I should be ready by nightfall." Itachi had distantly heard what she said, but gave her no signal of his listening other than a detached nod.

…

"Lord Orochimaru thinks you two are honorable," Kabuto said with a smirk as he pushed up his glasses. "It is naïve of him not to see your ulterior motives in searching for Hikari."

"Kabuto, I swear if you don't leave this room in the next second, I'll hurt you, _badly_," Midoriko said with a glare.

"Sasuke's not here right now, so I guess I do have time to deal with you," Kabuto said in a mocking tone. "You're not still angry at me for _that _are you?"

"No, not at all," Midoriko snapped. "I came to you. I asked you for help!"

"I told you, unless there was a medical concern, that I am staying out of it-" Kabuto cut himself off when Sasuke entered the hallway that connected him to the door he stood in front of. "Sasuke, you have perfect timing." Midoriko growled.

"You're a sick and twisted man, Kabuto," she hissed. Kabuto smirked.

"I wouldn't be Orochimaru's right-hand man if I wasn't, would I?" Sasuke approached them with a look that hinted he wished he wouldn't have returned to his room yet. "I come bearing good news."

"And what would that be?" Sasuke asked as he stopped in front of Kabuto.

"You no longer have to go searching for Hikari," Kabuto said with a smirk. "Lord Orochimaru has conjured the perfect plan to make her return."

"Wasn't I your first plan? That seems to have failed…" Midoriko said as she crossed her arms.

"Come with me, Lord Orochimaru would like you both to witness this."

…

Sasuke frowned as he leaned against the pillar behind him. He had a feeling this was an utter waste of his time. Midoriko frowned as she eyed a woman standing in the middle of the room, shaking. She could tell by her looks, she was a Koizumi.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke looked towards Midoriko with a brow raised.

"Calm down, child," Orochimaru retorted calmly. "There is no need to worry." Midoriko stepped back, but did not lose her frown. Next to the shaking woman was another woman. She stood and looked directly at Midoriko with eyes void of all emotion. Sasuke watched with little interest as Orochimaru did a few handsigns and a coffin appeared, swallowing the ninja with the lifeless eyes. Midoriko's eyes widened, but it was too late.

"He's performing the Impure-World Resurrection technique!" Midoriko shouted. "What's he doing with that!" Time passed and Sasuke's interest peaked when the symbol for the number 'one' appeared on the coffin. The door opened, and a woman clad in a black kimono stepped out. Sasuke's stomach dropped. Her eyes surveyed the room and landed on him, their colour struck him right through the core. He took in her appearance and immediately saw the resemblance. Whoever this woman was, she looked almost exactly like Hikari. The only difference would be the amount of years they had lived through. This woman's eyes were much more calculating and her mouth was set in a firm line. Her lacklustre eyes flicked over Midoriko and she slowly turned around until she faced Orochimaru.

"My god," Midoriko whispered. "I…I think that's Shizuka."

"_Shizuka_?" Sasuke wondered. Where had he heard that name before? The woman turned to the shaking girl and then grabbed her by the shoulders. She uttered a few words and then her eyes flickered in their colour, turning a deep grey. Suddenly her hair started to turn white, and her eyes did as well. The woman's body withered away to dust as she performed some kind of Kekki Genkai ability. The Koizumi woman stopped shaking and looked down to inspect her own arms, clenching and unclenching her fists as if checking to see if they work properly. The woman's appearance started to alter right in front them, and soon, she looked exactly like the woman who had appeared in the coffin.

"That's better," she said in a sharp voice. 'It was foolish of you to think I would obey _you_, Orochimaru."

"I didn't think you would, that's why I brought the extra body," Orochimaru said with a smirk. "I assumed you would like a will of your own and a body that I didn't control."

"You assumed correctly," the woman responded in a bland tone. "I'm rather surprised with you. I never thought you'd bring me back from the dead, willingly." The woman flicked her eyes around the room. "Now, where is my daughter? Where is _my_ Hikari?" Orochimaru smirked.

"Why don't you ask Sasuke? I think he has some idea as to her whereabouts, after all, he was the one to make her run off."


	16. The Sixteenth Passage

_**The Sixteenth Passage:**_

Sasuke was not pleased with the recent 'plan' Orochimaru had hatched to return his daughter to the hideout. There was something strange about the woman he had summoned to do the job. Sasuke had half-expected her to either attack him or hate him, but she did neither; she acted as if he didn't exist at all. Sasuke had also noticed that Midoriko was also extremely uncomfortable with the ghost-like woman hanging around. When he questioned her about it, she had just simply said she wasn't used to seeing Shizuka; he knew that she was lying by the way she scrunched her nose up. On the subject of Midoriko, he was surprised he wasn't completely annoyed by her all the time now. He expected her to be obnoxious and in his business all of the time, but she was surprisingly quiet and self-reserved. Underneath all the happiness he saw deep hurt reflected in her eyes and a cynical view of the world. He got the feeling that she thought she couldn't trust anyone. He didn't really care why she felt this way, and had no interest in knowing, but he knew that through her he could find Hikari.

Hikari, the thought of her being with his brother made him sick. He didn't think it was in Itachi's nature to try anything, but even just the thought of Hikari being tainted by his ways made him want to punch the closest wall. Hikari was supposed to be the girl Sasuke could always love, and the girl that would always wait for him. Sasuke knew that he had pushed too hard, but he never thought that it would end like this. Despite how well he was able to hide his feelings, the people who know about him and Hikari could tell that he still deeply cared for her. He thought that he could leave her to be safe in Konoha and then come back one day to get her, but back then he didn't know anything about who she was. Now that he knew, he wanted her back more than ever. He couldn't just watch her walk away from him, his pride wouldn't allow it. Hikari was the one person he still cared about, and she was the one person he was unwilling to severe his bond with; especially now that she was mixed up with his brother. His anger had been fuelled and it left him only wanting to end Itachi's life that much more. Itachi didn't know what boundaries were, and he didn't know not to touch what wasn't his; Sasuke knew this for a fact.

Sasuke's feet had eventually carried him to Hikari's room. He studied the door for a long while, and lifted his hand to open it until he heard voices leak from within. He raised his brow and leaned towards the door, trying to hear the muffled noise.

"Ma'am she's with the Akatsuki…"

"How did she get there, Midoriko?" Sasuke recognised Midoriko's voice and it didn't take a genius to figure out the other. Sasuke made sure to conceal his chakra presence so he might get a clue of what they were talking about; perhaps he would be able to find Hikari if Midoriko knew where she was.

"She ran away from the hideout with me to start a life in a Koizumi village. I was attacked and I faked my own death in hopes to find her after the person left. I was too late however, someone got to her first," Midoriko said in a shaky tone. "I failed her."

"Do you know who took her?"

"I found her with Itachi Uchiha."

"This is not good," Shizuka said. Her voice sounded like it was laced with concern. "_Itachi's forcing her to stay there!_" Sasuke thought.

"Look, Midori," Shizuka said in a quiet voice. "Do not tell the Uchiha-boy where Hikari is. Do not tell him about his brother. He seems quite possessive and it will only make her situation worse. I'm going to fix this, and believe me, I'll be damned if I let _anything_ happen to Hikari."

"I know ma'am. I tried to take care of her like you asked, but I couldn't prevent her from meeting Sasuke. If I could go back in time, I would make sure that she never left Otogakure." Shizuka chuckled.

"Midori…You know our clan. We have an affinity with Uchiha men. She would have met and fell in love with one eventually. However, if you had done that, she probably would have met Itachi first."

"You know him?"

"I knew him when he was young. I lived with my fiancé in the Uchiha manor and the boy must have been two at the time. He was a very cute child."

"So, is what Hikari told me about what happened to you true? You're like me?" A sigh was heard, but from who, Sasuke didn't know.

"Yes, we're alike in that way. I'm just glad you never ended up like I did. It's not that I don't love Hikari, I just wish her father isn't who he is…"

"He's not gone, Shizuka…" Midoriko whispered. Sasuke heard her voice crack and then she began to sob. "W-When you died, h-he came back."

"Is he here?" Shizuka's voice had turned hostile as soon as Midoriko had begun to cry.

"Yes…" Midoriko stopped. "He's one of the experiments…" Sasuke quickly stood up straight and jumped back away from the door. He ended up at the opposite side of the hallway and then began to walk forwards as Shizuka opened Hikari's door. Her eyes briefly fell on him, but she walked past him unbothered by his presence. Sasuke walked to Hikari's room and saw Midoriko on her bed with her knees held to her chest.

"If Orochimaru knew you weren't with me-"

"You won't tell him, will you?" Midoriko asked quietly, not looking up from the floor.

"No." He studied her once again and realised why Hikari had chosen her as a friend. Like he thought, she wasn't as happy as she seemed. He saw the finger-sized bruises on her arm and frowned. It was uncomfortable knowing where they came from. He had easily pieced it together when Shizuka spoke of Hikari's father. No matter how rotten Sasuke had turned out, he found it hard to ignore this. Despite his initial reaction to kill the culprit, he stayed out of it. It would only take up his time. Midoriko suddenly lifted herself to stand and then walked up to him.

"Can I ask you something?" He looked down into her eyes, and she flinched. At that moment, he remembered seeing the same thing from Hikari when he had touched her; she flinched and shied away from him. "Why does Hikari matter to you so much?" He didn't answer. Midoriko sighed. "You can't even answer a simple question like that?"

"Hikari accepted me when no one else would," he said quietly. "She took in everything and didn't reject me until I betrayed her."

"I accept you." He looked down at her again, this time sharply. She hesitantly lifted herself and pressed her lips to his. Before she could register it, he was behind her, holding a kunai to her neck.

"If you ever try that again-"

"I'm sorry," Midoriko said quietly. "It won't happen again. Just get away from me. You're like poison, I can't be around you. It's driving me insane…" She pushed the kunai away and then exited the room. Sasuke watched her with narrowed eyes. However, he didn't feel like going after her, so he just closed the door and then sat down on Hikari's bed. He laid down and realised that Hikari's scent still lingered in the pillow. Breathing in deeply his mind filled with images of her and he found himself drifting into a dream about finding her. Later he jolted awake when Itachi had entered and stole her away.

…

"I'm becoming less and less okay with the idea of being your servant as time goes on…I wish I could travel in time and then go warn myself," Hikari muttered bitterly.

"You hate us that much?" Kisame asked with a chuckle. She didn't answer, but she knew that Itachi had gotten the point. "Frankly, I think we're better than Orochimaru, company wise…"

"I cannot disagree with that," Hikari uttered bitterly. "I hate my father."

"I guess I don't really blame you, he is very…odd…"

"Yeah, let's just drop this here," Hikari said as she hugged her cloak tighter to herself. She shivered as the northern winds rushed down and whipped her hair across her face. "If I knew the Koizumi village was in the northern rock country, I wouldn't have agreed to this."

"You have no choice," Itachi interjected; Hikari was still shocked by the fact that he acted like nothing had happened between them. He was as cold and distant as ever when others were around them. However, she also noticed that when others weren't around he relaxed and allowed her to be more open and free. "The leader gave us this mission and we shall go, with or without your consent." Hikari looked towards the ground that had small amounts of snow covering it.

"No need to be so harsh on her, Itachi," Kisame said with a mocking grin. "You're going to make her cry." Itachi didn't acknowledge that he had even spoke, and Hikari wanted to hit him upside the head. She remained silent; fighting was not what she wanted to do. She was beginning to feel like she wished she didn't exist. She had been through so much pain.

"_I have to endure for him_," she thought as she looked up at Itachi. The back of his head was becoming increasingly familiar, seeing as she always walked behind him.

"When we get to the inn we will only be getting two rooms," Itachi said quietly. "I can't trust her not to run off, so I'm going to be staying with her."

"Couldn't you just order her not to go anywhere?"

"That command is too vague. If I tell her not to run away and then tell her to run later during a dangerous situation, it could backfire. For now, I'd prefer just to keep an eye on her."

"That makes sense," Kisame said as he nodded his head. Hikari sighed. She hated it when they spoke as if she wasn't there, but she assumed this was Itachi using his 'authority' against her. If he said his intentions aloud, she wouldn't dare defy them. Hikari shivered again and she hugged her arms to her stomach, trying to keep her warmth to herself.

…

"This is an unexpected surprise," Madara said with a smirk. "I have trouble believing that Orochimaru would bring someone as dangerous as you back to life."

"He's desperate to have his daughter back," Shizuka said as she absentmindedly twirled a kunai in her hand, occasionally feeling it's blade with her fingertips while casually sitting atop of a large wooden desk with her legs crossed. "And he thinks that I'll help him get her."

"You won't, of course," Madara said as he leaned forwards.

"You know me too well," Shizuka said with a smirk as she leaned forwards, until her lips were centimetres from his mask.

"It's been a long time since I've seen your true self," Madara said as he lightly touched her face. "Not since I was a young man."

"Well," Shizuka said as she sighed and leaned back in her chair again. "The last transformation went a little strange," she explained. "I ended up forgetting who I actually was when I took over the girl's body. I have a feeling there was a curse placed on her."

"That's very interesting, however, you were missing for several generations," Madara pointed out with a grin.

"I didn't remember who I truly was until Orochimaru summoned me to life again," Shizuka said with a frown. "I was surprised I acted so unsuspicious…"

"That explains why you could not defend yourself against Orochimaru," Madara said with an unusual frown.

"I would like to think you took Hikari here to keep her safe," Shizuka said cynically. "But that's very out of your character."

"It seems we still know each other quite well, don't we, Kameyo?"

"I have not heard that name in a very long time," she said in a trance-like way.

"Well, you went a long time without ever being called by the name your mother gave you…What do you go by now?"

"Shizuka was the name of the woman I took over back then," she explained with a frown. "For the simplicity, I'm going to continue to go by it. Also, Kameyo Koizumi is quite a famous name; I would not want to stir up trouble." Madara smirked.

"Yes, being the original Koizumi must be so hard…" Shizuka smirked and made a shushing noise at him as she covered her lips with her index finger.

"It's our little secret, love."


	17. The Seventeenth Passage

_**The Seventeenth Passage:**_

"He was very strange, that boy…" Hikari sighed as she impatiently tapped her foot. This was the third time she had heard that statement from the Koizumi leader sitting in front of her. She shifted her weight and nodded once again.

"Can you describe him?"

"I've never met a Koizumi from the south," the woman said eyeing Hikari thoughtfully. "You're very fair-skinned."

"_Thank you, for the fifth time!_" Hikari mentally shouted. "And I have never met a northern Koizumi clan member, but I fear we are all in danger." The woman pushed her bluish-black hair behind her ear and then looked at her olive skinned hand. She flicked her amber eyes back to Hikari and then back to her hand.

"The boy," she said uncertainly. "He had a tattoo on his hand."

"A tattoo?" Hikari asked as she looked back at Itachi. She sighed again and then pushed her own hair back. "Could you describe it?"

"It was black and it looked to be Kanji, but I didn't get a good enough look to _really_ see it." Hikari frowned as she pulled the fingerless glove off of her left hand and then showed the woman the marking on her palm.

"Did it look like this?"

"I'm not really sure," the woman said as she looked at Hikari's hand. "I wasn't close enough to see."

"Do you at least know what he looked like?" Kisame asked as he rolled his eyes.

"No, he covered every inch of skin."

"I thought you said his hands were visible?" Hikari asked.

"Well, yes, they were. But everything else but his eyes was covered, and they're not skin." Hikari let out an annoyed sigh and stood. "Are you leaving already?"

"I have go talk to other villages," Hikari explained. "You're useless." The woman narrowed her eyes.

"Excuse me?" she hissed.

"I said you're useless," Hikari repeated as she turned away from her. "I'm warning you, I'm in a really bad mood. I wouldn't pick a fight with me." Hikari exited the small manor with Itachi and Kisame following behind her; they were both using a disguise Jutsu to look like body-guards.

"So?" Kisame asked as they began to walk down the road.

"Where is the closest village that's been attacked?" Itachi sighed.

"In the Land of Sound," he answered.

"I cannot help but feel like I am being sent on a wild-goose chase…" Hikari uttered as she rolled her eyes. "Let's go to the inn and get some sleep. I guess we're walking east tomorrow…"

…

It was hard being in the same room as Itachi, at least Hikari thought so. She had a very hard time predicting what mood he was in and what he may do because of it; despite being an analytical ninja, she felt useless. However, Hikari was surprisingly okay with being useless around him, as long as she could exist, and not die, she was just happy with where she was.

She had been thinking lately, and felt that maybe she was okay without being the center of attention. She was okay just being a shadow in the background working for someone else. Unlike before, she just wanted to _disappear _from the world, or more correctly, disappear from the lives of the inhabitants of the world. In a sense, she felt like this had always been something she wished, to live a quiet life; however, she had never defined quiet as being a background pawn for an insane evil dictator-to-be. She observed Itachi quietly, again having her mind wrap up her thoughts with the subject of him.

Everything seemed to come back to him in the end, somehow. Hikari would occasionally wonder is she was beginning to become obsessed with him, or if it was more like an obsession with a puzzle, she just wanted to figure him out. It hadn't been that way with Sasuke; she could always figure him out and didn't want to move on, but maybe it was Itachi's enigmatic actions that made her curious. He had a certain ambiguity to him, she knew that for sure, but what it was about she did not know, she just knew that there were two sides to every tale.

He looked relaxed to her, and Hikari would like to think it was because there was no danger to her presence, that perhaps it was almost like being alone. She liked the thought of Itachi letting his guard down around her.

Hikari really wanted to get over this sense of beating-around-the-bush and understand what she was to him; she wanted to know if she was important to him or just a pastime entertainment. She felt a little braver than usual, so she turned towards him and began to speak timidly.

"Itachi-san?" He looked up at her with a flick of his obsidian eyes; that was a change for her, she had never seen him without his Sharingan activated. "Am I just a source of entertainment?" She shook her head. "Well, am I more than just your subordinate? Would I even consider myself as your friend?" He looked away from her and out the window- a movement Hikari recognised as the common action to dismiss an uncomfortable topic; break eye-contact and look away. However, after thinking for a moment he looked directly back into her eyes; he reestablished the connection, but this time held the dominance. Hikari wondered if he felt more comfortable when he was in control.

"Consider yourself as what you will. I will not label you, or any interactions between us, nor will I agree to anything you decide upon. I did not interpret you as a person that shallow-minded. Being an analytical and semi-medical ninja, you must know that we as a species are very complicated. Things are never that simple."

She looked away from his deep obsidian orbs and huffed out a light breath of air from her lungs. Unlike what Itachi had done, she was trying not to let him see how much the statement got to her; break eye-contact to prevent people from easily reading you. This could go two ways; it would work if the shinobi was not analytically trained, or fail if the shinobi recognised this technique as a protective one.

"You could have just saved your breath and called me a tool," Hikari said with a light frown tugging at her lips. "I'm keeping you alive and because of the closeness and convenience, you've decided that I would be of good use to you." Hikari bit her lip. "You don't need to patronise me, I'm a little beyond that now. I know you're no saint."

"What would you consider me as?" he asked her quietly.

"I thought labels were shallow-minded," Hikari mocked as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. Itachi rose from his place on the bed and walked towards her slowly.

"Even so," he whispered as he trapped her with his arms, "You must have some thought."

"You're probably not going to like it," she said quietly. "However, if I had to say you were anything, you're enigmatic, and ambiguous…You're also dark, darker than anyone I have met, save Madara…" Itachi looked deeply into her eyes as if searching for something.

"You're torn," he said quietly. "Torn between the past and the present."

"Yes," she breathed. "However, we're labeling each-other aren't we? I'm not always torn, but I guess as a general statement, it's true."

"Then allow me to take that conflict away," he whispered lightly as he kissed her neck. She sighed and her eyes fell to half-lidded; he was distracting her.

She couldn't get over how gentle he was, like she was going to break. He lightly trailed his fingers all over her skin and placed his lips against hers in an inviting kiss; something she wasn't used to from him. Hikari was not overly familiar with analysing intimate moments, but she sensed a bit of battle coming from somewhere.

She knew deep down that she was nothing to him, but she was strangely okay with being nothing, so long as she could forget about her past and live quietly by his side. It was oddly comforting to her, knowing that her relationship with this man could be detached and possibly prevent any kind of harm. That only worked if the indifference was shared by both parties though, she had a feeling this method wouldn't work forever for her. Perhaps it was the future she had been searching for. The only problem was that Itachi wasn't going to live forever and with that thought she bit her own lip open and allowed him to suck the blood from it; if it would keep her world together, she'd give as much as it took. She lightly grabbed his chest and pushed him towards the bed, falling lightly on top of him; there was no turning back now. She was going to seal their agreement to quietly use each other, she didn't really care what became of her anymore, all she cared about was forgetting what was, and she knew Itachi offered that. Hikari was partly lying to herself, she wanted to be indifferent when it came to Itachi, but knew deep down that this action was an act of self-sabotage and destroying her past. She would smother out her memories with the burning embrace of black-flames and crows.


	18. The Eighteenth Passage

_**The Eighteenth Passage:**_

"I cannot believe that Orochimaru is so desperate that he'd bring Shizuka back to life," Midoriko said as she bit her lip. "And something's different about her, it's like she's changed or something, I can't put my finger on it…"

"Che," Sasuke responded with a roll of his eyes. "I could care less."

"Sure, you know that she's your ticket to getting Hikari back here," Midoriko responded in a snarl. "Stop acting like you're all that, you prick."

"What? Wake up on the wrong side of the bed? You're unusually bitchy today," Sasuke grumbled. Midoriko glared at him.

She was trying to adjust back to her life, trying to forget about that man; Sasuke wasn't helping by starting up with his usual 'we need to find Hikari' bullshit. Again she wondered about his motives for stalking her friend, but she knew every time she thought about it, she thought about the man that had once stalked her; she hoped Sasuke wasn't cut from the same cloth. She didn't think so, but Midoriko didn't trust men.

Shizuka had wasted no time getting rid of the man who had raped Midoriko; he was discovered dead the morning after she had found out. Not that Midoriko was complaining. However, Sasuke had turned into a raging jerk towards her after she had tried to kiss him; not that she was implying that he wasn't a jerk already, but it had gotten worse. He took extra care to be nasty and let her know that he wanted nothing to do with her. However, she could have perceived his normal attitude worse than normal as an excuse to hate him. It wouldn't surprise her, nothing really did anymore. Despite her conflicting thoughts, Midoriko felt that it was also a possibility that a little of his attitude was warranted because she had known that he loved Hikari and made a move on him anyways. However, Midoriko wasn't sure if it was love or possession that he felt, it just seemed like Sasuke labeled them as the same thing in her eyes. In a sense she was really glad that he had rejected her advance, she had to admit that she hadn't been thinking straight; at the same time, however, she had to wonder what he was like towards Hikari when they were together. Judging from the both of them, she knew there was something there, a bond that neither wanted to let go of. Despite this, something went wrong; Hikari had grown bitter and Sasuke submerged himself with obsessed thoughts of hate while he confined himself to solitude.

Midoriko wondered if their relationship was repairable.

…

Hikari had never put much thought into her future. However, a few years back she thought she'd be with Sasuke for a long time, she didn't suspect that they would fall apart so easily. She also didn't suspect that she would lose her virginity to another man. It was weird, because before waking that morning, she felt heavy with guilt about leaving Sasuke. However, Itachi had managed to liberate her, like he had promised. She wasn't thinking of Sasuke, but studying Itachi's sleeping face curiously and found deep inside that she had in fact grown some kind of feelings for him; she wished she could pretend they were there.

She had no doubt she was romanticizing his appearance, but he almost seemed at peace and not so dangerous when his eyes were closed and he was somewhere far away. She moved closer to him and rested her head between the junction of his collarbone and neck. She had thought that he would be rough and treat her like dirt, but his caresses were gentle and looked so deeply into her eyes before kissing her that she thought he must have seen something there. She knew that this could very well be an act, but a part of her hoped it wasn't because she knew she could live this way. She had regretted thinking he was a monster before, because now she thought there was more to him. She couldn't get past the look in his eyes; the sadness and loneliness that they rarely reflecting but ran so _deep_.

She knew she would try by any means to keep Itachi alive now. She needed something he seemed to be offering, the smallest comfort he gave her made her mind at peace. No matter how much he confused her and she questioned his motives and actions, she couldn't deny that when he kissed her, she didn't think about anything.

She had never thought that she would fall for someone again, but Itachi had managed to sneak up on her, similarly to the way Sasuke had. However, Itachi felt less rebellious to her, she wasn't doing it just to stick it to her father; not that she loved Sasuke for that reason, but it was part of it. However, she got a new thrill from Itachi, one of danger; the danger of being caught by someone.

She felt fleeting caresses on her spine by soft finger-tips. She looked up into his eyes and smiled a small and genuine smile.

"I don't know where that came from, or what it was, but you set me free," she whispered. Itachi didn't respond, instead he continued touching her by brushing his fingers over sensitive flesh. "Thank you, Itachi." She leaned up and planted a small affectionate kiss on his brow. The same one she had given to Sasuke with the same significance; only that this was under completely different circumstances.

"You should have a shower," he spoke quietly. "We must leave soon to continue towards the next village." Hikari nodded and sat up, feeling her hair fall against her back. She had just thought of something, and it made her uneasy, so she pulled her hair over her should and twisted it, revealing her curse mark to him.

"Will Madara be angry?"

"Yes," he breathed.

"Will he try to harm you?"

"Madara is the least you have to worry about when it comes to this," Itachi stated. She knew who he meant, but she didn't want to think about the reaction he would give. She leaned back against his chest, and felt him tense; his barriers had returned.

"I don't want-" she cut herself off, finding that she did not really know what she wanted to say. She couldn't even find the proper words to convey her feelings to him nor did she want to hear his answer. Somehow, she figured he understood because he softly uttered "I know" in her ear.

…

"I do not think it is wise for you to approach Hikari just yet," Madara said as he tapped his fingers together in thought. Shizuka sighed. "I have a feeling that may run her back to the sound village and that is the last thing you want, correct?"

Shizuka simply nodded her head.

"Do you have a solution?" she asked in an irritated tone; she had grown tired of playing the waiting game with him.

"Hikari is in safe hands."

"You mean the Uchiha who murdered his entire clan including his parents?" Shizuka retorted with a raised brow. "It seems that you and I have very different perceptions of the word safe…"

"Itachi is a little more complicated than that. He is not just a ruthless killer, believe it or not, he still has a conscious." Madara paused and then smiled. "She was okay when she was around the revenge obsessed little brother for a year, she will be fine now. She is able to handle Uchiha men just fine." Shizuka snorted.

"Yes, she is able to handle them until they do something that she cannot control," Shizuka said with a glare flickering in her eyes.

"Surely you are not comparing yourself with her? He wasn't even an Uchiha. Trust me; Orochimaru and Itachi Uchiha are nowhere near similar."

"I don't trust any men," Shizuka said harshly. "They strike when you least expect it. Even you did."

"At least you are honest about your perceptions," Madara said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But you cannot deny that I have, at least, part of your love and devotion? If this wasn't the case, you wouldn't have shown up here in the first place."

"I won't deny that I trust you more than any other man in this world. However, when it comes to my daughter, I don't like entrusting her safety with anyone but myself." Shizuka sighed and her thoughts launched off into her deepest memories, the ones she didn't want to remember; the rough touches, bruising kisses, her screams, laughter, and tears. "Do you think Orochimaru knew my true identity when he violated me?"

"I bear no doubt in the matter," Madara drawled.

"Then he is like any other man," Shizuka muttered. "He took advantage of an ill woman; how disgusting."

"He couldn't have known he was playing with fire when he performed those actions," Madara said as he looked at Shizuka's frown. "I don't think he ever suspected you would remember your true self. You sound like you have plans to punish him."

"I don't," she admitted. "I want to watch him self-destruct."

"That can even be considered nastier of you," Madara replied with a smirk.

"I am aware of this." Shizuka stood and closed her eyes, trying to force her memories into the small box in the back of her mind; locking it and throwing away the key. She had learned to do this from the psychiatrist she had seen at the time. She just had to restrain the memories and only remember them when she needed to. It kept her mind at peace. "Well, I am going to head back to Orochimaru. I feel like he is becoming suspicious of where I disappear to. I shouldn't spend so much time here unless I want to blow my cover."  
>"I understand, my love," Madara said with another cunning smirk. Of course, she couldn't see it because of his mask, but she sensed it. "I have always had trouble deciding if you're an intensely cruel or caring woman." Shizuka smiled as she looked down at her hands; they were delicate and smooth, but the muscles in them were well worked and deadly despite first glance at the appendages. Kameyo Koizumi did not <em>look<em> deadly, but it was part of how she trapped her pray; if the shinobi could see through her deception, she would spare their life. It was her code, sparing the people who deserved it.

"They used to call me Hoseki in my village."

"Gem?"

"Yes; charming and beautiful, but, sharp enough to draw blood…"

"How suiting," Madara said in an amused tone.

"I never thought so," Shizuka replied with a frown. "My true face had been covered by the countless masks of so many individuals. I was never truly beautiful, how could I be if no one has ever seen my true face? Especially the people who nicknamed me that…"

"That may be so, however, as a man from your past I am allowed to use such nicknames because I had known you and seen your true face countless times. I am amazed that you have barely aged a day."

"That is because I haven't been in this body since I was in my late twenties…It never got the chance to age past what you've seen." Shizuka walked towards the window and then looked over her shoulder. "I guess this is goodbye for now," she whispered.

"I shall eagerly await your return, Kameyo." She nodded and then jumped down the building and out of his sight. When she was gone, his lips picked up into a smirk. "I am enjoying myself more than I thought I would…"

…

Madara had always infuriated Shizuka, but she could never hate him. However, even if he was her first (and only) love, she wasn't about to let him ruin her plans either. Hikari had no idea what her mother truly looked like, all Shizuka had to do was a jutsu and alter her appearance slightly. Perhaps change her eye colour. Though, it would be interesting to see her daughter's reaction when it would be like looking into a mirror that showed the future when she looked into Shizuka's eyes. She smirked. She would intercept Hikari in the village she traveled to next and play the part as the leader. She wanted to survey the man she traveled with anyways; this was just the perfect opportunity to do so. If she was stealthy enough, Madara wouldn't ever know. A smirk passed her lips again. Madara had been right, she did still love and devote apart of herself to him, but a bigger piece was held by her daughter. She wouldn't fail in protecting her this time around, that she would make sure of.

…

Hikari had become weary from traveling such long distances. It was like Itachi had read her mind because in the next moment he turned towards Kisame and Hikari and told them that they would rest. Hikari was grateful.

"I'm going to scout ahead," Itachi said as he looked suspiciously towards the northern path out of the forest they traveled in. He had heard voices mixed into the wind. Kisame smirked and with a nod sat next to Hikari and retrieved a deck of cards from his sleeve.

"Care to play, kid?" he asked with a pointed smile.

"Why not, shark-y," Hikari responded with a shrug as she watched him with bored eyes while he dealt the cards. "Are we playing for real money, or what?"

"Of course," he said with another smirk. "I wouldn't have it any other way." Hikari removed her gloves and then picked up her cards in order to study them. Itachi started to walked forwards at a slow pace; listening for the voices he had heard. As he ventured further north they became louder, but they traveled too. He was lucky they were walking in the same direction, they wouldn't startle Hikari. He knew that fighting wouldn't be to her advantage today, she was tired from the night before last and then the non-stop traveling ever since.

As he drew closer he concealed his chakra and made sure not to be seen. One of them was definitely female, she had a distinct voice and he had heard it before.

"Seriously, he's not going to be happy with you. I could escape whenever I want, you know? You're such an idiot…"

"Shut up, or I _will_ kill you."

"That threat is beginning to become obsolete…You never go through with it…" It didn't take long to figure out who the pair was, and he didn't feel like dealing with his little brother at the moment either. Itachi turned, but as he did he quickly moved his head and watched a shuriken whiz past it.

"Come out," Sasuke demanded. "I know you're there." Itachi sighed and turned around, walking out of his concealment. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Where is Hikari!"

"That's none of your concern," Itachi responded calmly. His facial expression didn't even waver from his slightly bored looking indifferent expression. Midoriko frowned and sensed some trouble was going to arise.

"Where is she?" Sasuke hissed.

"I'm not obligated to tell you anything," Itachi said as he turned away from Sasuke and began walking.

"You enjoy taking everything don't you?" Sasuke growled. "You sick bastard!"

"I can't take what isn't yours," Itachi said as he looked over his shoulder at Sasuke. "It's pointless telling you. Even if I did, she wouldn't go. She is quite comfortable where she is. On top of that, she has gained new loyalties." Sasuke ran forwards to attack, but Itachi appeared behind him, grabbed him and then held him still. "I don't have time for you."

"Then make time!" Sasuke growled as he tried to elbow his brother, however, it didn't work.

"Give up, it's useless. She won't ever return to you now. You're wasting your time. She doesn't want to see or have anything to do with you. She has other things to focus on."

"Sasuke-" It was Midoriko who spoke as she timidly reached out to him and then stopped like she regretted it. "Maybe he's-"

"Don't say it!" Sasuke snapped. He shook off his brother and then turned towards him. "What did you do?"

"I have no influences in her personal decisions. I simply train her physically," Itachi said calmly.

"What's going on?" Itachi looked back and frowned.

"I told you to stay with Kisame."

"You asked. Not demanded or else I couldn't have gone anywhere," Hikari said as she looked icily at Sasuke. "Well, this is quite some reunion; however, I must be on my way."

"What are you doing, Hikari?" Sasuke asked with a glare. "What are you thinking?"

"Don't sound so betrayed," Hikari drawled. "As far as I am concerned, my business is my own. Get lost."

Hikari simply stared at Sasuke, taking in his appearance; he had gotten taller and more handsome. However, his looks may have been charming but Hikari felt her rage start to boil again. It always seemed to appear when he was around, and then fade and turn into intense guilt when he was gone. She knew it would only get worse because she had betrayed him in a new way, and that's why she hated the sound of it in his voice; it was like he _knew _about what she had done. Hikari didn't have to be a genius to know if was her own brain playing tricks on her, however, she hated the feeling it gave her deep inside. She felt like trash.

"Come, Hikari," Itachi said as he turned and started to walk away. She bit her lip and started to clench and unclench her fist, out of habit, when her hand started to burn. Sasuke looked at the mark that glowed blue and raised his brow.

"I didn't believe you at first," Midoriko uttered. "You should know that if the leader of the Koizumi clan ever knew about how you placed that mark on her, you'd die. It's against our clan's agreements. 'No Koizumi woman is to be controlled by an Uchiha man through the means of fire and death'; or vice versa."

"Then it is good that there is no Koizumi leader that I should be fearful of…"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Midoriko said with a light glare. "I can think of one." Itachi looked back at her and then continued walking, not caring about her comment. Hikari's hand started to burn again. She sighed and then turned around, following Itachi with a frown.

"I wasn't done yet." Hikari muttered with a roll of her eyes. Sasuke's eyes widened when he realized what the mark did. "However, I can't fight right now. So it is pointless to stay."

"He's forcing her!"

"It's a little more complicated than that…" Midoriko said quietly. "I'd say that a lot of her actions are willful. Don't fool yourself, Sasuke."


	19. The Nineteenth Passage

_**The Nineteenth Passage:**_

Shizuka smiled when she stepped into the mansion of the Koizumi leader. She had slightly altered her plan. She wouldn't pose as the leader, but the leader's trusted daughter. She kept her hair jet-black, but changed her eyes to the colour of emeralds and she made herself look younger. She looked almost exactly like Hikari, expect in different colours. Her skin was tanned and she wore a deep crimson kimono. She knocked out the real Koizumi 'princess' and took her place next to her father in the meeting room. She smiled, not because she was plotting or scheming, but because she would get to see her beloved daughter. The last time she had seen her took place long ago. She had kissed Hikari's cheek as she slept and then returned to her room, where she died in her sleep from the disease that had been eating away at her insides. She couldn't even find a host quickly enough before she was too weak to be able to jump bodies. Hikari had only been around six at the time, and she remembered how innocent her daughter was; free from all stains except her father. She just hoped she remained that way.

…

"So why exactly do we have to look into this?" Kisame asked as they entered the village. "It's seems like a distraction."

"I think the leader may be concerned about my own safety. And yes, it is a distraction. I don't know from what…I believe it's to help my analytical skills though as well…" Hikari answered with a frown. "These are just speculations. I don't really know…"

Kisame didn't respond, so she returned to her thoughts. Her mind had been obsessed with Sasuke since she had seen him the day before. She couldn't get his face out of her mind, his eyes, the betrayal. If no one was around she'd probably break down and sob as she threw things and broke them. She hated the way he made her feel, but she knew that deep down she loved him. She wanted it gone. She wanted her feelings gone. She didn't even understand where her feelings came from, she had been despising him for more than a year, but her feelings for him wouldn't go away; they wouldn't stop tormenting her. She had become so frustrated that she lashed out and plunged a Kunai into a tree while she let out a harsh scream of anger. Kisame and Itachi turned towards her, but she bit her lip and ran off.

"Shouldn't you go after her?" Kisame asked.

"No…" Itachi said stoically. "I've been waiting for her to do something like this."

"Why?" Kisame asked with a raised brow.

"She saw Sasuke yesterday," Itachi responded.

…

Hikari sank down and ended up leaning against a tree after unleashing all of her kunai and shuriken towards anything around her. She sobbed as she ran shaky hands through her hair and then held her head as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I always told you that you shouldn't hold these things in." Hikari looked up and saw Midoriko standing in front of her, holding a Kunai between her fingers. "I followed you from yesterday…Sasuke doesn't know I'm here." Hikari let out another choked cry as she leant her head against the tree. Midoriko sighed as she sat next to Hikari and pulled her into a hug. "What's got you so shaken?"

"I feel guilt and anger towards myself," Hikari uttered through deep breaths. "I did something I shouldn't have…"

"Oh?" Midoriko asked with a raised brow.

"Or, well it's not that I shouldn't have. Hell, I don't even know. I can't distinguish anything…Even though Sasuke and I have nothing to do with each other, I feel guilty every time I kiss his brother. I feel so-"

"Wait, what!" Midoriko asked, pretending not to know. "You've _kissed_ his brother?" Hikari bitterly laughed.

"Oh, that's just the beginning. I've slept with his brother too."

"Holy shit. All hell is going to break loose," Midoriko uttered. "This is bad."

"You're preaching to the converted," Hikari responded quietly. "I know this is bad! Don't you think I know that!" Hikari sighed. "I have my own problems to deal with and Sasuke is just making things worse. I wish he'd just leave me alone."

"Hikari, you _cannot_ be with Itachi!" Midoriko said urgently.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Hikari asked bitterly. "Because Sasuke will throw a fit?"

"Because Sasuke will no longer just blame his brother," Midoriko uttered.

"You won't tell him, will you?" Hikari wiped her face and sighed.

"No. I won't. But- Oh my, this is really bad…"

"The thing is, I think I actually have feelings for Itachi, but it's tearing me apart because I _know_ I still love Sasuke. I feel guilty all the time. I try to tell myself I hate him, no, I actually do hate him. But, it's just that I love him as much as I hate him. However, I also have feelings for Itachi too, and Itachi, he's something else…" Hikari paused as tears started to fall again. "I don't want to go back to Sasuke. I don't want to go through that again. I don't want to wonder every night if I am going to wake up the next morning and he won't be there. I just, I can't do that again."

"Hikari…" Midoriko said quietly. "I can see that Itachi is sick. He won't last forever. The symptoms are everywhere. He has something deadly. What are going to do when you wake up one morning and he's gone?"

"He's not going to die…" Hikari uttered. "He has my blood."

"That the disease will adapt to it and soon it will have no effect in prolonging his life," Midoriko said. "Finding a cure is very unlikely. You have to face this. You have to face the fact that people have to leave sometimes."

"My mother left me to defend myself when I was barely seven. That was hell, but I could never blame her because she was sick. I couldn't save her, but I'll be damned if I don't at least try to help Itachi," Hikari said bitterly.

"What about when Sasuke kills him?" Midoriko asked. "You're a fool if you think he won't try. And the way things are looking for his emotions and how torn apart he is going to be when he eventually learns of this new betrayal, the odds will not be in Itachi's favour. Revenge is a powerful thing."

"That's another reason I can't be around Sasuke. I can't watch him destroy himself. I can't follow him where he is going," Hikari whispered. She looked around and sighed. "I should go. If I don't get back soon, they're going to look for me."

"Itachi's already found you," Midoriko said quietly. "He's behind that tree over there waiting for me to leave." Midoriko sighed as she let go of Hikari and stood. She flicked her wrist and all of the trees the kunai had landed in pushed them out of their trunks and at Hikari's feet. Midoriko left and as she passed Itachi he grabbed her arm.

"If you repeat any of this-"

"I won't," she said with a kind smile. "Hikari's trust means too much to me just to throw it away in order to tell Sasuke…And I'd rather not be killed." Itachi let go of her and then waited for her to leave. He entered the clearing and sighed when he saw that Hikari hadn't moved and was still crying. He walked to her and then knelt in front of her, gently touching her cheek.

"If I could take this pain away, I would."

"I know," she said quietly as she looked into his eyes. He gently took her hand and helped her stand to her feet. She leant into him and rested her head on his collarbone.

"I do love you, Itachi," she said quietly. He lightly ran his fingers through her hair.

"I know." Deep down, he couldn't help but think that his plan had succeeded. He had gotten her to love him. However, he wasn't so sure he liked the state it had put her in; he hadn't imagined such turmoil.

…

Hikari was able to push everything that she had been feeling down beneath the surface and even made an effort to just let it go. She wasn't in the mood to beat herself up, and she knew that she had an important task to perform once they got to the Koizumi household.

Hikari was pretty sure no one knew where the house was, and she didn't want to ask anyone in order not to draw attention to herself, so she tried to figure out if it was any of the homes she could see.

"Do you think it's that one? Up behind those buildings?" Hikari asked Itachi as she pointed where she spoke of. He looked and then nodded.

"The place looks pretty rich," Kisame commented. "I think it's our best guess, unless you just want to ask someone."

"I'd prefer not to," Hikari admitted. "This was the village I stayed in before I joined the Akatsuki. I only don't know where the head house is because it was Midoriko who arranged it all, not me. I'm trying not to be recognized. That's why I have my hood up. People here think that I'm dead." Kisame nodded.

"That woman who you were with," Itachi started, "Didn't she say she was attacked?"

"Yeah she was. I came face-to-face with the person, but their illusionary Jutsu was unreal. I couldn't break it."

"It couldn't have been more powerful than Itachi's eyes," Kisame said as he crossed his arms.

"No, it definitely wasn't as strong as the Sharingan, but it was still strong enough that I couldn't break it. Normally, I don't have any issues. However, this Jutsu attacked me in a different way. It was like running ink. I felt like I was drowning. Whatever it was, it at the least messed with my touch, sight and smell."

"That wasn't a basic genjutsu," Itachi said. "That would be something an ANBU could do. Do you remember how the connection happened?"

"Well," Hikari said as she thought back to it. She remembered the effect taking place before she looked into his eyes, but didn't remember being touched by him. She was just chasing him. It came to her then, suddenly. "I grabbed him and held a Kunai to his throat. He must have done it through touch. He disrupted my chakra with his. That's on a whole other level."

"It was either someone exceptionally skilled, or a high level shinobi," Kisame added.

"If they were from ANBU, they weren't dressed like it," Hikari said thoughtfully. "He didn't wear a mask or anything. He just wore a cloak. It actually kind of reminded me of what I'm wearing now. I couldn't see anything except his heavy traveler's cloak." Itachi frowned.

"If it was a Shinobi from a village, they were from Konoha," Hikari said as she bit her lip. "Sunagakure doesn't have any Genjutsu techniques like that."

"Is there anyone who would want to harm you?" Itachi asked.

"Not that I know of," she responded quietly.

"I know of someone." Hikari turned and drew a Kunai from her pouch in the blink of an eye. "Relax. We're on good terms, remember?" Her eyes widened.

"Hoshi? What in the world are you doing here?"

"I am beginning to become irritated with all of these visits from your old friends," Itachi said coldly. "Who is he?"

"He is my old team mate from Konoha. Not a threat."

"I believe we decide that, kid," Kisame said with a pointed smirk as he gripped the handle of his sword.

"No really. He warned me when the ANBU were gathering to arrest me for the murder of a Political Figure, the massacre of a Fire Country Village and the attempted murder of Naruto Uzumaki. That old bat of a Hokage also thought that I was a planted spy and let Orochimaru into the village, and that I assisted in the kidnapping of Sasuke Uchiha," Hikari sighed. "Hoshi could have made so much money that he'd never have to work again by turning me in, but he warned me instead. It seems he is here to do that again. However, just what is it that you're warning me of? Or should I say, who?"

"I am kind of surprised I ran into you. I'm only here to try and protect the people from the culprit. So the rumors are true, then?" Hoshi asked as he looked between the two Akatsuki. "You really are a terrorist now."

"I'm here under extenuating circumstances," Hikari said quietly and innocently.

"I can't say why, but it's no longer of free will."

"I know who attacked you and that blond girl. I also know who's been attacking these villages," Hoshi admitted quietly. "Hikari, you have to understand that this isn't a simple matter."

"Just tell me already," Hikari said impatiently.

"You have to swear you won't hunt the person down."

"And if I do?"

"You won't, because I won't release the information."

"Hikari will not murder the person you speak of," Itachi said coolly. "She cannot disobey me." Hikari glared lightly at him.

"Hikari he's betrayed and hurt. He thought you left to chase after Sasuke. I couldn't tell him that it was because you were a criminal. He thought he had done so well to repair what he did wrong, and it just tore him apart knowing that you would rather abandon the village to be with Sasuke than stay in Konoha with him-"

"Hoshi I swear, if you don't spit it out right now!" Hikari yelled as she grabbed Hoshi by his collar. She had a terrible feeling, and thought she knew who it was, but she didn't want to say it, didn't want to _think_ it. "I am not a patient woman. I have things to do."

"It seems like you were popular back in Konoha," Kisame said with a smirk.

"She really was." Hikari sighed and looked over her shoulder. Someone arrived behind the group, cloaked in black. She let go of Hoshi and turned to face the man. Before he could move, she vanished and appeared behind him, kicking him in the back of the knee. He fell, and she stepped on his back, leaned forwards and then jerked up his hood. Nothing but ink flowed from the hood and the body beneath her disappeared. Someone grabbed her from behind and brought their lips to her ear.

"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet, you were always so clever," he whispered. Her eyes widened and by instinct she elbowed him in the stomach. He didn't let go. Before she could launch another attack, Itachi spoke. She looked up to see he had vanished from where he stood previously.

"Let her go or die," he said indifferently as he stood over the man with a kunai pointed at him. The man let go.

"I find it funny that the Uchiha seem to be wrapped around your fingers, both of them at the same time," the man chuckled to himself.

"Sora, stop," Hoshi said quietly. "This isn't who you want to be." Hikari growled and turned around, grabbing Sora by his collar. She didn't want to admit that she had created this problem, and that she had caused the sweet boy in front of her to turn into a monster.

"Are you fucking kidding me!" she snarled. "You still have this childish crush on me? You would let yourself go insane and start murdering my people because you can't have me! Grow up! I never liked you in the least. I was a lie! The Hikari you knew never existed! I am the daughter of Orochimaru! Now, I am the servant of Itachi Uchiha. I am about as twisted as it gets!" Hikari threw her fist forwards and punched him in the jaw, but as soon as her fist made contact, the mark started to glow and she was sent flying back by the impact of her own blow. Her cheek turned red and started to sear. "What the hell!" Itachi grabbed Sora's hand and lifted it; the same mark that was on Hikari's palm was etched into his skin. Itachi made sure that Kisame couldn't see it, he wouldn't be able to explain why the mark was on both of them.

"Kisame. Do not harm this man. Hikari will receive every impact he does." Kisame raised his brow, but then nodded nonetheless. "Kisame, to reduce the chances, start to walk to the mansion. I will dispose of the boy and we will catch up." Kisame sighed.

"This was just getting good…"

"Go."

"Alright, however, I might just find a nice tree to lie under," he said as he turned around and started to walk away. Itachi's Sharingan eyes were on Sora in an instant, and he knocked him into unconsciousness. Itachi looked towards Hikari and she was also on the ground, out cold.

"Take your brother and leave," Itachi demanded. "He will wake in fifteen minutes. I want him gone and restrained at your home by then." Hoshi hesitated, but then nodded.

"Take care of Hikari, please. I always knew she was different, but nonetheless. She is still someone I care about and I want her to be safe." Itachi didn't respond, instead he picked Hikari up and started to follow where Kisame had left. Hoshi sighed and touched his brother. He performed his teleportation Jutsu and vanished from sight, regretting leaving Hikari alone with Itachi Uchiha, but more, he regretted letting Sora near her.


	20. The Twentieth Passage

_**The Twentieth Passage:**_

"Hikari, wake up." She groggily opened her eyes to the command that was uttered through Itachi's lips. She looked around, but realized that Kisame was nowhere in sight.

"Where is Kisame?" she asked as she held her head.

"He went ahead to tell the Koizumi household we would be delayed," Itachi said stoically. "That boy is going to be a problem."

"Sora?" she asked with a frown. "What happened? Why did I get hit by my own attack?"

"It seems that he has marked more than just you," Itachi said with a frown.

"Wait! That means that he ordered Sora to do all of this, right?" Hikari asked with hopeful eyes.

"I think Sora was more than willing to participate," Itachi responded indifferently. Hikari sighed.

"I wish I could go back and change what I did to hurt him," Hikari uttered. "It's my fault that he's killing innocent people. I knew he was unwell, but I ignored the signs because I didn't want to confront the issue and now look at what's happening, he's killing innocents; killing innocents from my clan all so that he can get revenge on me, no less." Itachi sighed. "I wish I didn't do all the things I did. I wish I didn't go to the leaf. I wish I didn't meet Sasuke- I just want to leave this behind, but it's like every time I try to get into the present, someone sends me back again."

"You can't change the past," Itachi responded coldly. "It's pointless to dwell in self-pity."

"I know it is!" Hikari yelled as she glared. "I know I can't take it back, but I hate the way I constantly feel! I hate the way _you_ make me feel!" She accused as she shook. "I can't look at you without feeling like I've killed Sasuke! I can't kiss you without wanting to cry! What the hell do you want from me, Itachi!" He turned away from her and began to walk.

"I don't want anything you have to offer."

Hikari didn't think that words could actually feel like a knife; but she understood where the saying came from. Small slashes had been cut into the surface of her heart with his words, velvety and smooth, but sharp and cruel.

"I've never meant anything to anyone," she uttered quietly. "I don't know why I thought that would change when it came to you. What was I, a means of pissing off your brother? A means of suicide? You want him to kill you, don't you?"

Itachi didn't say anything in response. "You said I was a fool because I regretted my past, but you do as well, don't you? You're trying to get Sasuke to kill you and you're using me to do it!"

"Is that how you justify giving yourself to me?" Itachi asked with venom laced into his words; undiluted poison. "You're filling your own head with absurd ideas in order to make yourself feel better about an action you regret. You're more pathetic than I thought." Itachi continued walking. "We have a mission and you will complete it." Tears started to come out of her eyes.

"I don't understand," she sobbed. "Why do you do this to me? What have I done to deserve this from you? Do you think that I want to hear how pathetic I am? Because believe me, I know it. I don't need to hear it from you." Hikari let out a deep breath. "Believe me; I understand that I've sunk to being nothing but a play-toy whore for the brother of my ex."

"I have already told you that you may interpret our relationship as whatever you want. I don't care how you judge this."

"But I can hear and see the way you interpret this!" Hikari said as she grabbed onto his arm. "Do you think you're always stoic? I can hear it in your voice and see it in your eyes! Those cold and calculating stares aren't for nothing, just admit it, you don't give a shit about me!"

"I'm not going to answer in the way you want. You want to be pushed down harder than you have fallen." Itachi turned and looked at her with fierce intensity. "If I didn't care, you wouldn't be alive."

"All I need to know is if I mean anything!" Hikari said as she choked on tears. "No one has ever cared about me! Fuck, I had sex with you thinking you cared for me and would release me from my old life! All I practically do now is battle internally over if I should hate myself because I fell in love with you, but no matter what I do, you're cold."

Itachi didn't answer.

"We have a mission," he reminded her as he turned away and started to walk towards the Koizumi household. "Come." She shook her head and looked away from him.

"You're disgusting."

"That's a matter of opinion. If you haven't realized, accusations mean nothing to me." She sighed.

"Yeah, I know," she said in a defeated tone. She was finally done talking.

…

"The boy was good at covering his tracks." Hikari nodded, staring at the man in front of her, but not caring enough to process anything he was saying; she knew who the culprit was and her mind was in turmoil about Itachi.

"You seem distracted." Hikari looked to the man's side and saw the young woman, probably her age, who was the leader's daughter. She was creeped out about how much they looked alike and every time they made eye contact, the woman had a certain kind of arrogance to her; it was like she knew something Hikari didn't.

"I'm sorry, I'm just worried about my people," Hikari said quietly. "Did you see anything distinguishing? A tattoo perhaps?" She had better make sure it was actually Sora, and it wasn't just Sora claiming to do it. However, from her last encounter with a Koizumi leader, she would say it was definitely Sora; better safe than sorry though.

"Yes, he had kanji on his hand," the man explained. Hikari sighed and took off of her glove, showing him the palm of her left hand. The man nodded.

"That was the marking," the man scratched his head. "Is it an organization or something?"

"No, it's a curse," Hikari said dully as she slipped the glove on. She looked towards his daughter and saw that her eyes were widened, and she was still staring at Hikari's gloved hand. "Is something wrong?"

"How did you get that?" she whispered. Hikari felt it start to seer from beneath the glove.

"I was knocked out and woke up with it on," Hikari said with a frown. She turned back towards the father. "I must ask you not to kill the culprit if he shows up here again. There is a large bounty on his head if he is collected alive. I will pay you the sum of it if he is hand delivered to me."

"How much?" the man asked skeptically.

"One-point-six million yen," Hikari responded. "However, if you double-cross me I will take everything you cherish."

"That is a very hefty amount of money, the thought of double-crossing wouldn't even come to my mind," the man said with a smile.

"I'm warning you," Hikari said bluntly. "I will honour my words if you decide to defy me after we have made this agreement." Hikari stood and then looked at the woman one last time. She still had not taken her eyes off of Hikari's hand, but then she looked up into Hikari's eyes and an unspoken emotion was funneled through, pity. Hikari scoffed and walked out of the room with her 'body guards' following directly behind her. She walked away from the house, particularly grumpy because she knew that she wasn't going to get any new information out of it anyways.

…

"You should be grateful that I don't slaughter you where you stand!" Shizuka uttered in a deadly whisper as she entered the office that Madara always seemed to occupy through the opening on the side of the large building.

"Kameyo," Madara asked in a semi-surprised tone as he looked up into her fuming eyes. "What happens to be the problem?"

"What's the problem!" she asked in a rage. "The problem is that you used a forbidden Curse-Jutsu on _my_ daughter!"

"I'm afraid that I know not of what you speak about," Madara said as he frowned beneath his mask.

"She has the marking on her palm, the curse of obedience!" Shizuka yelled. "That is a forbidden Jutsu that was banished from use in agreement from both of our clans!"

"She's been cursed with that?" Madara asked quietly. "And I thought I could trust him to take care of her, but he seems to have stupidly tried to defy me."

"What are you talking about!" Shizuka demanded.

"It was not I who placed the curse on Hikari, but Itachi," Madara explained as if the answer should have come to her right away. "Naturally, I'm offended that you assumed I would commit such a horrendous crime to a member of an allied clan, but it was not I."

"Why would Itachi, such a young person who shouldn't even _know_ of the curse- forget know how to use it- curse Hikari?" Shizuka asked suspiciously.

"Itachi is well read in his history, especially in Uchiha history which is closely intermingled with Koizumi history," Madara said as he folded his hands together. "He would use it to try and get back at me. You see, we have a competitive relationship. He must have done it so I cannot truly ever have Hikari as an ally." Shizuka frowned, but believed him nonetheless. She had never caught him lying before, despite the many times he had lied to her.

"I don't care what kind of relationship you have; I'm disgusted that she would be used as a means of control. I want the curse taken off of her, as soon as she returns," Shizuka growled.

"I'm afraid that cannot happen, the curse is permanent," Madara said with a frown. "The obedience curse cannot be done through any other means than a blood contract," Madara explained. "It cannot be taken away until the person who placed it dies themselves, and as long as Itachi doesn't will to take her with him, she will be fine."

"That's not good enough!" Shizuka yelled as she stepped forwards and threateningly grabbed onto his jacket, while her pupils started to dilate. The room started to shake, and things on the walls and desk started to fall, anything glass shattered.

"Calm yourself, Kameyo. I didn't get a chance to finish what I was going to say," Madara said with a smile. "Itachi is a dying man. He won't be around for much longer; probably a half a year, to a year at most." Shizuka sighed and sat down on the desk.

"I swear, Madara is something happens," Shizuka uttered.

"I know, and nothing will," he looked her directly in the eyes. "I can assure you of that."


	21. The Twenty First Passage

_**The Twenty-First Passage:**_

Sora couldn't control himself, and he hated the fact that he had finally found Sasuke Uchiha. He remembered when he was in the academy and he hated Sasuke, now he just hoped he didn't get killed by him.

"Get lost," Sasuke demanded when Sora stepped out of his concealment.

"I cannot. I come bearing a message," Sora uttered as he removed his hood and showed Sasuke his face.

"You," Sasuke said as his eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

"I have to tell you something, but first you must swear that you won't kill me," Sora said cautiously.

"Why should I do that?" Sasuke asked in a drawl.

"You'll kill Hikari if you do," Sora said with a frown. "We have both been cursed, and our lives are linked. If I die, she dies."

"Why should I believe that?"

"It's your choice, but she will die."

"More importantly," Sasuke started. "Why should I care?" Sora faltered.

"_Could Madara have been wrong? I thought Sasuke had been chasing Hikari across the entire world_," Sora thought with a frown. "I am just telling you that if you shoot the messenger, she will die as well."

"Whatever," Sasuke said as he stared at Sora intensely. "What is it?"

"Hikari Koizumi is living happily among the Akatsuki, and a recent spy informed me upon something," Sora started in an uneasy tone. "She's pregnant." Sasuke's eyes widened.

"You're lying," he accused as he narrowed his eyes. "I saw Hikari three days ago. She was not pregnant."

"She is!" Sora insisted. "She was probably being secretive, and didn't want to stay long so you couldn't figure it out!"

"You had better leave before I kill you."

…

"So, you've returned," Madara said as he stared intensely at Hikari. "However, you cannot stay long because I have a new mission for you." Itachi's eyes narrowed; he had not been informed of a mission. "You will be going to Sunagakure with Deidara and Sasori to retrieve the Ichibi."

"Hikari is my subordinate," Itachi interjected. "They are careless. She will not survive with them."

"Do not worry, Itachi," Madara said with a smirk. "Hikari will leave behind a week's worth of blood for you. There is no need to kick your addiction just yet." Itachi tensed. "Upon request from a very important woman, I have decided to separate you. We both feel that you cannot be trusted together."

"Who?" Hikari asked with a raised brow.

"That's none of your concern. However, she's picked up on your strange behavior as well as I. Hikari, you are not allowed to see Itachi until I decide otherwise," Madara said as he looked her directly in the eyes and her palm started to burn. "We will extract your blood and it will be given to him in vials. There is no need to worry about his health. However, I worry that you have become far too fond of Itachi. It seems that I have made a mistake with entrusting your care with him."

"Itachi has done nothing but keep me safe!" Hikari yelled as she glared. "Have you even seen anything, or are you assuming!"

"Hikari, silence," Itachi commanded. "It's fine. You should be separated from me. You're too dependent. I agree." Hikari looked up at him in shock.

"_Was it because of what happened in the village?"_ Hikari asked herself mentally. She frowned. There was no other explanation; he had finally had enough of her.

"Y-yes," Hikari said with a bow as she turned towards Madara. "I'll do as you say."

"I'm glad Itachi was your voice of reason," Madara said as he waved Itachi away. Itachi hesitated, but left after a few seconds. Madara looked Hikari in the eyes after he was sure Itachi was out of earshot. "Tell me exactly what happened on the mission that Itachi wishes me not to know of." Her skin began to sear again. Without even thinking about it, she lied.

"We ran into Sasuke and he almost convinced me to return to Otogakure," she explained as she held her head in shame. "I'm sorry. Itachi stopped me before I could disobey our contract." She didn't say too much, she made sure of that, but she also made sure that she didn't say too little; and he took the bait.

"Thank you, Hikari," Madara said as he smiled beneath his mask. "You've done well." Her hand stopped burning, and she sighed in relief.

"What about my room, sir?" Hikari asked in an unsure tone. "What If Itachi's there?" Madara's smile grew into a smirk.

"Then make sure you ignore his presence."

…

Hikari sighed as she walked into her room, but then gasped as someone slipped something over her eyes and tied it behind her head. She reached up and touched the soft material, releasing it was a forehead protector; from feeling the insignia that had been crossed out, she knew it was Itachi's. His lips were so close to her ear that his hot breath fanned across the back of her neck.

"If I'm around you, I'll die," Hikari said quietly.

"Is the mark activated?" he asked, letting his words tickle the roots of her hair behind her ear. She shivered.

"No." Her voice came out in a strained whisper.

"He told you not to _see_ me. You're blindfolded, you cannot see anything. The mark won't activate unless you look at me and recognise that it is me," he explained quietly. "You have to look for loopholes."

"Why did you agree with him?" Hikari asked him in a hurt tone.

"Because if I agreed with him, he was more likely to think we are nothing more than subordinate and master," Itachi responded.

"I thought-" Hikari cut herself off and held her head in shame. "I thought you did it to punish me for making a scene in the village."

"That was not my intention," Itachi said with a sigh. "What did he want?" Hikari sighed as she closed her eyes; however the amount of darkness she saw was no different. She had forgotten what it was like to wear a blindfold; she hadn't done it in a year, or even thought about putting one on again.

"He wanted to know what happened on the mission that you didn't want him to know about," Hikari whispered. "I lied without even thinking about it, I just knew I needed to protect you as much as I could and the lie just flowed out of me."

"What did you say?" Itachi asked skeptically.

"I told him that Sasuke had convinced me to return to Otogakure with him, but you stopped me so that I didn't disobey my contract with Madara," Hikari answered as her nerves shot up. She wasn't sure how well she lied, or if Madara had believed her at all. "I'm not sure he bought it, he didn't question it, but he sent me away. I don't know what that means."

"Madara is very bold, he is not afraid to call out someone's bluff. I think you may have successfully lied to him."

"Well, that thought is somewhat of a relief," Hikari said quietly. "I thought he was screwing with me. So, do I go with Sasori and Deidara?"

"Yes," Itachi said in a whisper. "You don't have a choice. I'm going to try and find out who the woman that he spoke of is."

"Are you going to tell me?" Hikari asked as she turned around to face him, though she couldn't see him, she imagined he was in front of her. The image wasn't perfect though, it was like looking at a photograph, expect hazy and unclear. She wanted nothing more than to take off the blindfold, but she knew she couldn't, it was like she was blind.

"If I am able," he answered. She felt his finger s caress her cheek, and then his lips on hers. She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, but there was a pang of disappointment that shot through her when she realised she couldn't look into his eyes and try to figure him out. If she could, she would have to try and hear things in his voice; she wasn't sure if that was possible. Itachi did not reveal his emotions.


	22. The Twenty Second Passage

_**The Twenty-Second Passage:**_

"So, you got put on a mission with us, un?" Deidara asked with a coy smirk playing on his lips.

"No, I'm just here because I want to go hunt down a tailed beast and deal with you for a week or two," Hikari said with a smile; however, her words betrayed her sense of politeness.

"Come on, you have to admit it wasn't that bad until we got to the land of wind," Deidara pointed out. "You weren't complaining until it started to get hot, yeah."

"Shut up," Hikari said as she rubbed her temples. "You talk more than I do."

"Oh?" Deidara asked with another smirk. "You see, I always thought Itachi liked his women silent."

"_Excuse me_?" Hikari hissed as she looked at him with a fiery glare. "Where in the world would you even get the stupid idea of me belonging to Itachi-sama?"

"You had better watch yourself, Deidara," Sasori said. "She is about as ill-tempered as I am."

"I know," he said flashing his grin again. "I've trained with her too, yeah."

"You people bring out the worse of me," Hikari said with a sigh as she brought her hand to her face. "So, who is our target? I haven't been informed yet…"

"Sabaku no Gaara, yeah," Deidara said with a confident nod of his head.

"Uh, there must be some kind of mistake," Hikari responded with a raised brow. "There is absolutely no way in hell that Sunagakure would elect him as their Kazekage. He's insane, totally unstable."

"Well, either he must have had a change of heart or they decided to elect their most powerful," Deidara said with a shrug. "Did you know him or something?"

"I participated in the Chuunin Exams; he was there in alliance with the Sound Village. They had a plot to destroy the leaf; however, he also tried to go berserk on Sasuke to prove his 'existence'…"

"Sasuke?"

"Itachi-sama's younger brother," Hikari explained.

"You said that the Ichibi was allied with the Sound. You make it sound like you had nothing to do with it even though Otogakure is your home village and you were planted as an assassin at the time," Sasori commented.

"I didn't know anything of the planned attack," Hikari said as she rolled her eyes. "It doesn't surprise me; people always do things without telling me. It was especially the case with my father who never trusted me at all." Hikari sighed. "This discussion is pointless, so I'm going to stop it. However, even though I didn't know at the time, I guess it makes sense that Gaara is the Ichibi…"

Hikari wished more than anything that she didn't have to be on this mission. She wished that she could be back with Itachi, where she truly felt safe. She had never really had the time to think it over, but the more she was alone, the more she realised that Madara was a threat to her life. She remembered that she had the same feeling of security around Sasuke when she was in Konoha; she felt safe from her father. It was strange to realise that her father was now the least of her problems; she barely acknowledged him as that. At one time, her fear had enclosed her within thoughts of him, but now her fears had been converted to Madara, Sasuke and Itachi. She genuinely feared Madara, but feared for Itachi and Sasuke; her father hadn't been a thought inside of her head in months.

She began to wonder why Madara had 'recruited' her, and what his true intensions for her were; she was sure that in the meantime, she was a good source of entertainment, but that couldn't be all she was worth. She knew there was something more, and she hated the feeling of searching for answers with no results; she hated her own future being put into the dark with no source of light. Hikari couldn't see any source of light; Itachi's would soon be extinguished and she had a feeling Sasuke had shut his eyes the day he left Konoha. There was no one to help her, which led her to wonder if she should depend on herself and her own abilities. She must have served as a light source for someone; she must have been important enough to someone. She must have had her own light, but she couldn't see it, and she found that she was still lost no matter what she tried. She wished she could make the answers appear; however, Madara was good at covering his tracks.

"Here we are, yeah." Hikari looked up and saw that they had reached a very large wall of sand. "The one who is placed here will be the first, it seems. The one we sent to Orochimaru will have to wait…" Hikari raised her brow.

"What are you talking about?"

"It seems that this one has turned traitor and has been talking about our movements, un."

"It can't be helped, I suppose," Sasori responded. Hikari rolled her eyes; again, no questions answered. "But even I don't know what will happen when the Jutsu is casted…Are you sure what you've got in that pouch will be enough? Our enemy is the Jinchuuriken host."

"Every one of my Jutsu is a work of art," Deidara responded. "But just to be sure, I brought along my masterpiece, un. We can't take any chances when our opponent is the Ichibi." Hikari looked up and saw that they were getting really close to the village now.

"Um, is this a good idea? Just approaching like this?" she asked. "There are bound to be guards."

"Don't you worry," Deidara started with a smirk. "We've got this all figured out, yeah."

As the team stepped into the shadows, a man appeared from within the village. Inside the chasm, ninja were fallen atop of each-other, dead.

"Good work, Yura," Sasori said indifferently. "You remember me, I presume?"

"How could I forget, lord Sasori," Yura said as he bowed on one knee.

"Of course he remembers; it wouldn't be much of a Jutsu if he didn't, un." Deidara said. Hikari got the distinct impression that Sasori wanted to hit him.

"They're still loyal servants after getting their memory back," Sasori said. With those words, Yura began to lead them into the village and Hikari was utterly unsure if she should follow.

…

"How long is he going to take?" Hikari uttered to herself as she put another paper bomb on a dead soldier.

"He should know better than to test my patience," Sasori said venomously as he continued to set traps.

"So what's this going to do? Why are we booby-trapping the area?"

"The Jinchuuriki has relatives," Sasori explained. "They will follow him, and this will slow them down. We need time to extract a tailed beast, and we cannot afford delays."

"How long does it take?" Hikari asked as she placed the last bomb onto a rock and then covered it with a Jutsu to conceal it from curious eyes.

"Three days," Sasori answered. "However, without Orochimaru, it could take longer."

"Orochimaru?" Hikari asked with widened eyes.

"You spoke truthfully about being kept in the dark; Orochimaru was once a part of the Akatsuki."

"Interesting," Hikari said with a nod. "That makes a lot of sense, but then something must have failed for him."

"He fought Itachi, and then left," Sasori explained.

"So that's it," Hikari said to herself. "He was trying to absorb Itachi-sama, but he was too powerful, so now Orochimaru is after Sasuke's body."

"Come on," Sasori said as he turned around and began to walk out of the chasm. "Let's wait for that fool to finish."

"Hai," Hikari said with a nod.

…

"Seriously?" Hikari complained. "It's already nightfall and he isn't done yet…This is driving me insane…" Sasori didn't respond. As if on cue, a large wind suddenly blew Hikari's hair. She sighed, and moved her hands into signs, completing a disguise Jutsu.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, you said that he would be followed, if I am recognised, it will screw up my abilities to collect information from this village undetected," Hikari responded with a shrug as she crossed her arms and leaned on the large rock-wall behind her. She had made herself a brunette with brown eyes.

"Well, I've cleared my mission, un," Deidara announced as he landed.

"You're late," Sasori said in an annoyed tone. "I told you don't keep me _waiting_!"

"Wow, Deidara, if you hadn't of ducked there, you would have been headless," Hikari said with a smirk. Deidara looked at her with a quirked brow.

"Aren't we grumpy?" He said as he looked at Sasori again. "This one was rather strong, you know?"

"Yes," Sasori answered. "Perhaps next time you will _listen_ to me."

"Everything ready here, yeah?" Deidara asked looking around.

"Well of course it is! I had plenty of time to see to it."

"We were done hours ago," Hikari said as she crossed her arms.

"Unlike you, _I_ know what I'm doing," Sasori snarled.

"Well then, let's get going," Deidara said with a smirk.

"Yeah, you wouldn't want to keep him waiting any longer," Hikari said as she unfolded her arms and pushed her back off of the wall. Deidara jumped off of the bird and then retrieved his hat from his cloak as the three of them began to walk.

…

They had been walking all night and the sun had risen again; Hikari was beginning to grow groggy and tired, she wasn't sure of how much longer she could hold up her Jutsu when all she wanted to do was sleep.

"That disguise Jutsu makes it seem like you don't want to be affiliated with the Akatsuki, un," Deidara said with a smirk.

"Well, when we're in a village that is so closely allied with Konoha, I don't. I can still gather information here with ease and would rather not have more crimes put on my head and make it difficult," Hikari explained with a roll of her eyes. "I thought it was obvious."

"Crimes?" Deidara asked with a scoff. "Yeah right, what do you have on your head, petty-theft?"

"In Ho no Kuni, I have become an S-ranked criminal in their books. I am responsible for the murder of a political-figure, espionage, treason, and the attempted premeditated-murder of Naruto Uzumaki," Hikari said with a roll of her eyes. "However, they unjustly stuck a few crimes I am innocent of on my head as well; them being that I was involved in the third Hokage's death, and assisted in the kidnapping of Sasuke Uchiha."

"Wow," Deidara said. "And here I thought you were an innocent little girl who somehow became a subordinate through begging…"

"Nope," Hikari said with a sigh. "I was personally sought out by the leader himself." Suddenly, they came to a stop.

"What's the matter, Sasori?" Deidara asked.

"I wouldn't have thought it possible, but, we're being followed," he answered.

"You were being too loud Deidara," Hikari asked as she crossed her arms. "You talk way too loudly."

"Hold it right there!" Hikari looked over her shoulder and saw the older brother of Gaara; the same guy that she remembered seeing try to beat the crap out of a six-year-old. She briefly wondered if he had changed. "We meet at last." He looked towards his brother. "Hand over Gaara, now!" Deidara scoffed as Sasori turned around.

"Deidara, Hikari, you two go on ahead…" Sasori said.

"Right," Hikari nodded as she turned around and began to walk. Sasori jumped in front of Kankurou. Kankurou knelt low to the ground.

"Are you three ready for a puppet show?" He made handsigns. "Crow! Black Ant! Salamander!"

"His puppet's names continue to be stupid…" Hikari uttered to herself.

"I'll say it again, hand over Gaara, now!"

"The puppet-master Jutsu, eh?" Sasori asked.

"You're screwed," Hikari said to herself. "Well meet you later." Deidara smirked and jumped on the bird, Hikari jumped on after him.

"I'm going on ahead, enjoy the show."

"Think again!" Kankurou yelled as he launched a puppet forwards; however, Sasori grabbed it with his tail.

"I don't like to wait," Sasori said as he took off his hat. "Or keep other's waiting. So, I'll make this short, and sweet."


	23. The Twenty Third Passage

_**The Twenty-Third Passage:**_

"Kankurou! Are you alright?" Temari asked in a desperate tone. He slowly opened his eyes and looked to the door, seeing Naruto Uzumaki, Kakashi Hatake, Sakura Haruno and then another female who he didn't know the name of. She looked to be about Kakashi's age and had blondish-pink hair and very bright sky-blue eyes. He turned his head back and saw his sister's worried face.

"Temari…You're back already?"

"I heard the village was in trouble," she said quietly.

"I'm sorry to be such a bother."

"Shut up! Don't be ridiculous!"

"Can you lead me to where Kankurou's fight with the Akatsuki took place?" Kakashi asked Baki. "I'm known for having a pretty good nose for tracking. If even the slightest trace of their scent remains on the scene-"

"There's no need for that," Kankurou said. He painfully tried to sit up. "Where are my puppets? I assume you recovered my puppets, correct?"

"Yes, lord Kankurou, I'll send for them," a doctor responded. The woman that he didn't recognise stepped forwards.

"Asami Koizumi," she said with a light smile. "I'm glad you're alright. May I ask you a few questions?"

"Uh, sure," Kankurou said.

"How many where people took Gaara? I've been looking at the trap that was set up; it could not have been done by only one set of arms in that amount of time."

"There were three, two who were members and then another in ordinary clothes," Kankurou answered as he winced.

"Could you describe this other person?"

"She was a female. She was maybe 5'5'' in height and probably about a hundred and fifty pounds. She was a brunette and had brown eyes. She might have been eighteen."

"It sounds like a junior member," Asami said to Kakashi. "Whoever she is, she's someone's subordinate."

"Well she wasn't one of their subordinates, she was extremely disrespectful to both; but wait a minute. As I approached, she and the blond where having a discussion, I overheard her saying that she was using a disguise Jutsu because she didn't want to be recognised. What she really looked like, I don't know."

"Did you hear anything else?" Asami asked curiously.

"Yeah, she and the blond guy were having sort of an argument. She was going over crimes; she said she was wanted in Ho no Kuni for various crimes, including the assistance in the third Hokage's murder and the kidnapping of Sasuke Uchiha." Kankurou coughed.

"Did they say her name!" Asami asked suddenly urgent.

"I'm not sure, maybe but-"

"Think!" Asami demanded. "If they said her name, I need to know it!"

"Hidori? Midori? No…Kari, no…Mikari?" Kankurou sighed. "Hikari? Yeah, that was it. Hikari. The other guy addressed her as that." Asami's eyes widened and so did the rest of the leaf shinobi.

"I would have never thought that she'd…" Asami trailed off.

"I thought she would have gone with Sasuke-kun," Sakura said quietly. "Not the Akatsuki. She was Naruto's friend, but now she's working with the organization that want's to kill him? It just doesn't make sense."

"But it does," Asami said as she looked towards the ground. "She found a way to hurt Sasuke as badly as he hurt her."

"What are you talking about?" Kakashi asked. Asami sighed.

"It's a long story, but it's one that she told Hoshi and then he passed it on to me…There was a lot to Hikari that we didn't know back then, including the fact that her father is Orochimaru."

…

"'Rest and wait outside'?" Hikari grumbled to herself with a very prominent frown pulling at the corners of her lips. "More like, 'go be a danger scout'!" She sighed and looked at her hands, both of them gloved with black leather; however, her finger tips were bare. She knew that beneath the leather on her left palm, the Uchiha curse was embedded into her flesh by the scorching of flames. Her hands were slim and had a certain look to them, like they were delicate but well trained.

"What am I going to do?"

…

"Midoriko!" The said girl snapped up from her sleep and looked wearily at the bedroom door; Sasuke marched into the room. "Is it true!"

"Excuse me?" she asked with a quirked brow.

"Is Hikari pregnant! I know you've seen her!" Sasuke growled.

"Um, I don't think so. However, how would I know?" Midoriko asked him. "And where did you even hear that?"

"It doesn't matter," he uttered as he walked towards the door again.

"Where are you going?" Midoriko asked urgently.

"If no one knows the true answer, I will find her myself. I have questions that will be answered." Midoriko sighed.

"Just remember Sasuke, she's hurt. She may say anything just to harm you, or she could do worse; tell you what you want to hear."

…

"Kakashi," Asami whispered. "I can't go back and report now. I have to go, because if she is there I need to tell her about what happened."

"I'm not sure that is the best Idea," Kakashi replied as he lightly stroked her cheek. "I know that you feel like she is entitled to know, but we haven't any clue of how she would react."

"I can't just leave her out of this information," Asami said as tears started to well in her eyes. "Daisuke brought me into the clan and stood up to anyone who questioned it, he would be disgusted to know that I wasted his effort by not informing his niece. If she has a shred of humanity left, she might respond. I might get her back."

"I know you love Hikari, I do as well," Kakashi said. "But she was never who we thought she was and we need to accept that. As it is, Naruto cannot believe that she joined the Akatsuki."

"I'm not so sure she joined," Asami said quietly. "It seems so unlike her."

"What about her trying to punish Sasuke?" Kakashi asked. "I never thought that she would seek out Itachi Uchiha to do so. However, she knows how to strike below the belt."

"I would rather talk to her myself, even if it puts me in danger," Asami said as she looked into his eyes.

"There is no convincing you otherwise, is there?" he whispered into her ear.

"No, there is not. You should know me better than that by now."

…

"I've decided what my role in everything is going to be," Shizuka said confidently. "It's been far too long since the entire Koizumi clan was united, and we are the loyal comrades of the Uchiha. It's about time that we spoke out on the injustices."

"Not yet, my dear," Madara said with a smirk. "Do not speak until my plan begins. I must declare the war first."

"I know," Shizuka said. "However, I shall provide a side army of Koizumi warriors, a force that the world hasn't seen in decades."

"Do you have a way that you're going to achieve this?"

"Yes, I'm going to make the leader of the base-clan my puppet," Shizuka said with a smirk. "If I am hiding in the shadows, no one will know who the real villain is."

"How clever of you, however, you are no villain. You're just trying to establish peace."

"It's settled then," Shizuka said. "From this moment on, my clan is no longer apart of any village. We are on our own now." Madara smirked.

"Our clans are truly alike, aren't they?"

"Yes, and shall we forever be tied to each other in this feud of hate against our suppressors. Have you ever wondered how my clan became so dispersed?"

"The first Hokage saw you as a threat," Madara said with a smirk. "It is because of our long time alliance. He didn't want you in Konoha, so he divided you several times until you were not but families living among the citizens."

"He will pay for that."

"What do you think of Sasuke Uchiha?" Madara asked as he looked up at Shizuka. She sighed.

"He reminds me of you," she responded. "His eyes are intense and hateful. However, I fear for the boy's future. One such as I does not believe in declaring yourself as an avenger. It only ties you down to always avenge and it will leave you empty in the end."

"And his brother?" Madara asked.

"I hold respect, if what you told me is true. However, I cannot get over the fact that he would accept a life in shame and as a traitor. He traded all he had. A true shinobi if there ever was one."


	24. The Twenty Fourth Passage

_**The Twenty-Fourth Passage:**_

"Hikari." Hikari looked up and saw Madara standing in front of her on the tree branch. "I want you to return to the hideout. Leaf shinobi are on their way, and I don't want them near you."

"Sure, beats sitting around here," Hikari said as she stood and stretched. "So who's the escort this time?"

"No one," Madara answered as he started to sink into the branch. "I want you in the hideout three days from now. If you're not there, you will die because it's an order…There is someone there I want you to meet."

"Could you make it four days?" Hikari asked. "I have been nonstop traveling for a month now and I am on my breaking point. I need a lot of sleep; I was planning on stopping at an Inn on the way back and not waking for another twenty-four hours…"

"Four days," he said with narrowed eyes. "You have four days."

"Thanks, Tobi-sama," she said with a bow of her head and then she jumped off into the woods as he disappeared.

Hikari's mind started to buzz as soon as she was away from him.

"_There are only a few reasons why Madara wouldn't have just teleported me back with him_," she thought. "_The first being that Sasuke or Itachi is around and the second being that he __**wants**__ me to run into the Konoha shinobi_…_Maybe it's all of those combined. Knowing him, it is…_" She sighed as she launched herself forwards, but suddenly felt a jolt of pain in her leg and was forced to come to a stop in a nearby clearing. She looked down and saw that something had caught her leg and cut it open pretty badly. She looked back, but didn't see anyone. She sighed and held her hand down over the wound as blue light started to glow. Suddenly, she was surrounded. "Yup. That bastard wanted me to run into you guys…"

"Hikari!"

"Well, if it isn't Asami?" she asked aloud. "Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura too…What do you guys want? I'm not going back to Konoha in custody if that's what you're thinking…"

"You've changed." It was Sakura who had made the blunt statement. Hikari looked towards her with sharp and calculating eyes, and in a second she was behind Sakura with a kunai to her throat.

"I've changed? Or you didn't know me in the first place?" she challenged as she let the kunai press a little deeper. "Do you even know who my father is yet? I'm surprised none of you guessed during my lovely stay in Konoha."

"We know that Orochimaru is your father-"

"Biological father," Hikari said with a smirk. "I really consider him nothing more than a sperm-donor seeing as he raped my mother in her sleep." Sakura's eyes widened. "I think you all understand why I am a little…different…now don't you? No matter though, let me show you just how much I've changed!"

"Hikari, wait!" Asami yelled. "I know you're hurt-"

"Hurt?" Hikari asked with a high-pitched bark of a laugh. "Why should I be hurt by the lot that betrayed me, huh? You all knew I wasn't a threat. Hell, Kakashi, you knew that I killed a personal servant of my father, yet you all snitched on me to the Hokage, didn't you?" Hikari snarled. "The _only_ person I trust among the leaf is the only person who gave a damn, the person who came and told me that the Hokage was going to _torture_ me until I gave her intelligence I didn't know."

"Hoshi," Asami breathed. "Hikari, I never told Lady Tsunade anything-"

"But you did," Hikari said with a smirk. "You kept tabs on me and told her all of the loop holes in my stories; it was like you wanted me to burn for the village. That's a little strange seeing as my grandmother _adopted_ you into my clan. You are a disgrace, Asami. You are no Koizumi!" Hikari turned to Naruto. "And _you_…You think I would actually try to kill you? I said you were my friend, and I even saved your life by keeping your identity a secret! I refused to tell my father to this day! I even ran to help you when Sasuke found out that Itachi came to get you, and I tried to _kill _you? Are you fucking kidding me?" Hikari shook her head. "The leaf village is a joke. You pretend to be at peace by surrounding yourselves with artificial barriers that don't exist and you are hostile to all outsiders. I wanted to be a leaf shinobi, and I had no intention of leaving until I was caught out. You all decided to hate and betray me simply because I was the daughter of the enemy and from a different village. You're pathetic, and give no chances to start with. None of my good deeds mattered as soon as my identity was learned. The leaf village thrives on segregation and assumptions. To hell with all of you."

"Does that mean you didn't help kidnap Sasuke or kill the Hokage?" Sakura asked quietly.  
>"I attended the man's funeral and cried…" Hikari said with disgust. "Someone who helped murder him would not have done such a shameful act. You people are sick."<p>

"Why did you leave your home village?" Kakashi asked as he looked at her headband strapped to her thigh. "Why are you apart of the Akatsuki? I loved you like my sister, and here you are in so much pain. Why?"

"Why?" Hikari asked. "Because Sasuke showed up at the hideout and learned who the Hebiko really was. I wasn't going to sit around with the person who stung me the deepest." Hikari sighed. "I went to live in a Koizumi village and then I was attacked by someone who has been murdering my people. He almost killed my best friend, and I was captured by Itachi Uchiha and had an ancient Uchiha curse put on me. I am not a part of this organization by will."

"Sasuke-kun, is he?"

"Shut up," Hikari spat. "Sakura, you know nothing of Sasuke or his past. You don't know him, or what he's capable of. He will walk all over you, given the chance."

"You don't know Sasuke either then!" Naruto yelled.

"Know him?" Hikari asked with a laugh. "Do I? He only has chased me around the world, using my best friend as a compass because he wants me to be in his life. As soon as he figured out whom I was, his bond with me no longer needed to be cast away. I am on his side, the one of hate, darkness and forced solitude. It's you people who will never understand us." Hikari let go of Sakura and pushed her forwards, watching her fall to the ground. "We are the type of people who will do that and then smile as you writhe in agony."

"He isn't like that!" Naruto yelled again.

"Sasuke's heart is infested with hate, and it's only going to get worse," Hikari uttered. "Stop lying to yourselves and face reality. He will never come back to you."

"You still love him though," Asami said quietly. "That's why you're in the Akatsuki; you're keeping tabs on Itachi."

"No, sorry…I am here because I am forced to be," Hikari said as she rolled her eyes. "Now, if you will excuse me."

"I came here to tell you something," Asami said as Hikari began to walk away. "Because I thought it would be the proper way of the Koizumi to tell you. However, I'm not sure you will care…"

"What is it?" Hikari asked as she shifted her weight and put her one hand on her hip. Her voice came out in a drawl.

"The killer murdered Daisuke and his wife…" Hikari began to walk again.

"Don't worry," she said. "I already know who did it. I'm just trying to figure out how to kill him without dying myself."

"Who was it!" Asami asked. Hikari sighed and let out a few words before leaving the clearing.

"I'm under no obligation to share that information. This is a Koizumi matter, and none of you are of my clan."

…

As Hikari walked slowly through the woods, she was just waiting for another person to show up. It was of no surprise to her when she felt a blindfold slip over her eyes.

"You were confronted," Itachi stated.

"I think I said enough nasty things so they will never want to approach me again," Hikari said with a sigh. "It's better that way. Madara cannot use them against me if I severe my ties… I didn't realise that this would cost me so much in the end."

"It is the price that only a handful of shinobi must pay, there are always sacrificial pieces," Itachi said as he held Hikari from behind.

"You were one of them, weren't you?" she sighed. "I think I understand now." Itachi didn't answer. "Meeting them again made me realise that my life isn't ever going to be the same. I can't go back home, can I?"

"No."

"I always thought that after Sasuke got powerful enough, he would kill you and then go back home, but it's not going to be that way, is it?" Hikari asked as tears welled in her eyes. "He isn't ever going to be okay again is he?" She felt Itachi breathe in deeply.

"No…"

"Sometimes, I wish that he never had to endure that pain, but then I think about how I have to face reality. Bad things cannot only happen to bad people, they have to be in balance and hurt even the best of us…Itachi, what happened?" Hikari turned around to face him. "I know you're not bad."

"You remind me of Shiori…" Hikari's breathing hitched and she grew silent. "She was such an intelligent woman, and she was Madara's last pastime. I killed her in cold-blood because she knew too much. You're crossing obscured lines."

"But you won't kill me, will you?" Hikari sighed. "You want to leave Sasuke with some source of light…Lately I've been thinking about being lost, and I realised I am not meant to be guided, I am meant to be the light. It was why I was named 'Hikari', I am sure of it. Sasuke's shut his eyes, but when he opens them, he will need someone to light up his path and bring him back. That's what I am for, isn't it?" Hikari sighed and hugged Itachi. "You love Sasuke deeply, don't you? You didn't decide to spare his life because you could; it was because you couldn't kill him."

"Yes…"

"Why did you kill everybody?" Hikari asked as she tightened her grip on him. Silence dropped in between them, and the suspense started to churn her insides; however, his response wasn't what she expected.

"I don't ever want you to look upon war," Itachi said quietly. "That isn't what I wish for you." Itachi lightly touched her lips with his and held her face as if it would break. Thunder started to roll, and rain started to pour. And as he pushed his face against hers, pulling her closer to deepen the kiss, she couldn't tell if the wetness that she felt were his tears or the rain.


	25. The Twenty Fifth Passage

_**The Twenty-Fifth Passage:**_

Hikari sat alone in a clearing she had decided to sleep in after a long and weary day's travel. A fire lit up her face, and kept her warm, but her heart was cold and felt sick. In her hands she held the necklace Sasuke had given her, debating what to do with it; she considered throwing it into the flames. She wanted to test the cheap trinket against all odds and see if it survived. When she thought about it, she realised it was an incredibly stupid idea; she knew it wouldn't withstand flames that sought to destroy its existence.

She sighed and turned the small blood red stone, watching the light catch on it. Sasuke had made it clear that he didn't care what she did with it, yet she couldn't let it go.

"Sometimes I think it would be easier not being a Koizumi," she whispered to herself. "Perhaps I wouldn't get mixed up with all of the remaining Uchiha. I thought I had no future back at the hideout, but with-" she cut herself off, realising that she could not say her warden's name; that meant only one thing, someone was close enough to hear what she said. She released a deep breath and figured it was probably someone traveling; however, she knew that only trained shinobi would be able to hear her from the road that was through the forest. As he approached, she knew who he was by the familiarity of his chakra, but didn't move or run, despite thinking it was probably the best course of action. "Sasuke," she said lightly. "I know you're there." He stepped out of the forest and she was overwhelmed with a strange sense of nostalgia; it was similar to the time she had first shown him her Kekki Genkai. She thought that he would have approached her angrily, but he didn't. He calmly sat next to her. "It's been a long time."

"Why did you run to the Akatsuki?" he asked seriously, however he didn't look at her. She sighed and held her knees to her chest.

"I didn't," she answered. "I ran to a Koizumi village and lived there for two weeks with Midoriko."

"And then you joined the Akatsuki."

"I was forced to by the leader," Hikari explained. "He saved my life and then demanded my loyalty and bribed me with information. He made Itachi place a binding-Jutsu on me." She figured she might as well tell him the truth, or most of it. She wasn't lying if she left a few facts out; however, telling him it was Itachi was something she didn't have a choice in.

"Are you pregnant?" He was shaking. She looked at him thoughtfully.

"Not that I know of," she answered in a perfectly calm tone.

"You're not denying it's a possibility then?" he asked in an angered tone.

"I won't lie," Hikari stated. "And frankly, it's none of your business. We are no longer together, nor have anything to do with each-other. I am simply talking with you because you would hunt me until I did." Sasuke glared at a tree. "I am not the same person you once knew. It's not worth chasing me."

"It's a lie," he stated. "I can see the person you are inside."

"You try to deny that you're like Naruto, but while he chases you, you're chasing me…Why are you so fixated with me, Sasuke?"

"Because I love you," he said quietly.

"Are you sure?" Hikari said equally as quite. "I think we loved the thought of each-other, Sasuke."

"No. You are not like everyone else. You have never doubted me, or frowned upon the person you saw inside. You were never trying to hold me back. I was a fool," Sasuke said. "I thought I was protecting you by leaving you. I didn't know who you were-"

"And you still don't, Sasuke," she said quietly. "You fell in love with a girl who doesn't exist."

"Don't sit there and lie to yourself," Sasuke said sharply. "I can see you right now. You cannot hide who you are."

"Well, I must not feel like that person anymore, because they burned when you left," Hikari said as a bitter taste came to her tongue. "I accepted you for everything you were because you were inspiring. You took all that life threw at you and tried to not let it get out of your hands. You took control. I had never been able to do that and the moment I threw away everything back home, my greatest role model turned into my greatest source of heartache." Hikari flinched when she felt a light pinch at her skin. She looked down at her leg with a frown, but saw no sign of any wound; not even a bug-bite. She sighed and Sasuke began to speak again.

"Come back with me," he said. "I want to take back everything I've done, but I can't do that while you're sleeping with my brother and playing criminal."

"You would forgive me for that betrayal?" Hikari asked as she looked at him with widened eyes.

"I drove you to him…" he sounded as if he didn't want to admit it.

"I can't, Sasuke…"

"Tell me to my face that you don't care anymore," he said as he gripped her shoulders and searched her eyes for something.

"It's not enough…" she looked to the ground. "I have to help somebody. I promised I would do anything. I can't go back on my word. I am already committed to a different life. I think it's time we went different ways." Hikari looked up into his eyes. "Where you're going, I don't want to follow, Sasuke." He sighed and let go of her shoulders. She could tell she hurt him; he knew who she was choosing instead. She sighed and looked away from him as she stood. "I enjoyed talking to you Sasuke. Don't worry. I'm sure we will see each-other again…" He paused.

"It's not enough, Hikari."

…

Shizuka watched Madara with saddened eyes. He was probably aware of it, but didn't care. She wondered where the man she used to know disappeared to.

"_As it is the fate of all Uchiha, he probably was consumed by the darkness that lurks within us all_," she sighed. "_And as his Koizumi, I shall drown with him. It's painful to watch._"

"Kameyo," Madara spoke as he turned to face her. "What are you thinking about?" She smiled.

"You," she uttered as she averted her eyes. "I often wonder about the destiny of my clan and my branch. As it has always been the tradition of battle and hatred between the Uchiha and the Senju, there has always be a tradition of unity and companionship between the Uchiha and the Koizumi. I often wonder if we were meant to be like that, the old way…" she looked up at him again. "We were in a team, as every Uchiha is supposed to be paired with a Koizumi in a cell-squad, and I fell in love with a very charismatic young man. I often wonder if my daughter will be like me; tied an Uchiha and willing to do anything for him."

"Are you willing to do anything for me, Kameyo?" Madara asked with a smirk. She was uneasy by it, not sure if he was trying to take advantage of her. She was surprised he had taken off his mask in front of her in the first place.

"I am," she said with a nod. "We are bound, Madara. You know that." He smiled and lifted her palm, looking at the marking that had faded; it was the marking of loyalty. She had it place by Madara when they were teenagers.

"It's faded," he said as he examined it.

"That's because I had forgotten you for a long time," she uttered as she lightly touched his face. "When I was resurrected, it wasn't even visible. It's starting to resurface. You know that I will always be loyal to you, I will never betray you." Madara nodded as he lightly touched her face.

"I know, Kameyo." Madara suddenly smirked. "Hikari has arrived."

"I want her to be around the older Uchiha brother again," Shizuka said. "He is a good trainer, and if I am going to teach her the full potentials of her blood, she must be physically ready for it.

"As you wish, Kameyo," Madara said as he kissed her hand, his lips lightly touching the marking that had turned ink-black.

…

"Welcome back, Hikari," Madara said as she walked through the door. She yawned and nodded.

"Hi to you too," she responded.

"I was impressed with how calm you remained on your mission, even though the enemy had followed you out of Sunagakure. Even more, you cut your ties to Konoha. It was interesting hearing you speak like that, considering your clan's history."

"Uh…Thanks?" she asked with a raised brow.

"I've decided that you may resume your training with Itachi. We both feel you should."

"We?" Hikari asked. A woman suddenly stepped inside from the entryway.

"Hello, Hikari."

"Um...Hi?" Hikari shook her head. "Excuse me, just who are you exactly? It's kind of creepy that you look like me…"

"I go by many names, but I think the one you would be the most familiar with is 'Shizuka'. It's been a long time, my child."

…

Midoriko didn't know if she wanted to approach Sasuke or not; he seemed like he was in a terrible mood, but she guessed that he was facing some kind of rejection issues. Her guess was that he found Hikari, but didn't hear what he wanted to. She wondered what Hikari could have possibly said to him.

"Sasuke?" she asked hesitantly. He didn't look at her, or even acknowledged that she spoke. She sighed and shook her head; it was a hopeless effort.

She wished Hikari would return at times like these. It was during moments like these that she felt utterly alone. She leaned back down onto her bed and waited silently as tears rolled out of the corners of her eyes. She didn't like seeing people in emotional pain, because it put her in pain. She wished Shizuka was around, but the woman could be found less frequently as time went on. Kabuto suggested that it was because Shizuka was so familiar with the hideout, she hid herself in the deepest parts for privacy; Midoriko wished she knew where that was, she wished she could talk to the only person she had ever known as a mother. "Is it hard for you?" Sasuke looked at her with narrowed eyes. "Not being with Hikari? Did you really love her?" Sasuke didn't answer, which made Midoriko think the answer was leaning towards yes. "I think I might understand, and if your relationship was like anything she described, I don't think you need to worry. I think she will eventually come back, but the more you suffocate her, the more she will run. Give her space. I know you don't want to hear it, especially from me, but I know Hikari. I know what she would want."

…

"M-Mother?" Hikari asked with widened eyes. "How is this possible?" Shizuka sighed.

"Orochimaru's impure resurrection technique," she answered with a sweet smile. "He tried to use me to lure you home. However, he didn't know much about my past; I didn't either, however."

"Father brought you back to life in order to get to me?" Hikari asked weakly. "That's sick."

"I should have never let that man raise you, Hikari," Shizuka said as she walked forwards and touched her daughter's face. "However, while I could not remember my true self, I made bad decisions. I am truly sorry." Hikari blinked tears from her eyes as she shook her head and she looked towards Madara.

"Do you think this is funny!" she yelled. "What did you do? Is this a genjutsu!"

"No," Shizuka said with a frown. "Madara had nothing to do with this. He wasn't even aware of my resurrection until I found him. There are a lot of things you should know, my dear Hikari," Shizuka said as she walked towards Madara. She grabbed his hand. "One of the things you should probably know is that I've been betrothed to Madara Uchiha since I was twenty-years-old."


	26. The Twenty Sixth Passage

_**The Twenty-Sixth Passage:**_

Hikari held her head and sighed. She stared at her ceiling, trying to process everything she had learned. She didn't know where to start.

A part of her could not accept what Shizuka said as the truth, she wanted to believe that Madara was somehow controlling her mother. In reality, she just didn't want to wrap her head around the fact that Haruo was not the man who would have raised her if Shizuka never went to Orochimaru; it would have been Madara. She hadn't felt like her whole world had been flipped in a long time, and now she wasn't really sure where to start putting things back in order. She was happy that she could now look at Itachi's haunting face, but sad about her mother's return.

She sighed and turned on her side, watching the window thoughtfully. She wondered if this was the room Shiori had lived in.

Her door opened and she looked up to see Itachi enter the room.

"I was just alerted that the restriction on our contact has been withdrawn," he said as he sat down next to her.

"Did you see her?" Hikari asked quietly. Itachi didn't respond, but he had been introduced to a woman while talking with Madara. "She's my mother." Itachi looked at her sharply. "I tried everything I could to keep my loved ones away from him, but I never expected her to show up here." She sighed. "It seems that Madara has found another way to control me, and what's worse is all of my mother's history that I didn't know. There was never a Haruo Uchiha, only Madara using a disguise to get closer to my mother. It's sort of tragically romantic, but I have to question that man's motives." Hikari blinked and looked at Itachi. "Did you mean all of those things you said back in the Koizumi village?"

"No, I did not," Itachi said as he looked deeply into her eyes.

"Then why did you say them?" Hikari asked in a weak tone. "You have no idea how much that hurt."

"I said it because we were in public. If anyone there figured you were a weakness to me, they would have attacked. We were recognised a few times."

"We were?"

"The witnesses were disposed of," Itachi responded as he leaned towards her and breathed in her scent. "Speaking truthfully, if I did not care about you, I wouldn't have saved your life when you were bleeding from a fatal wound."

"So you did save me!" Hikari said with widened eyes. "When Kisame attacked me, you undid that sealing Jutsu!" Hikari looked down. "When I tried to stop you from killing Sasuke you looked at me a certain way." Hikari sighed and dropped the subject. "Never mind, it's not important. It was just something that stuck with me at the time. I couldn't forget the way you looked at me and your eyes were my waking thoughts for weeks." Itachi lightly touched her face.

"I was curious about you," he said just above a whisper. "You knew you were no match for me, yet you tried to hold me back anyways. There was a certain pleading in your eyes that could not have come from anyone who didn't truly have sincere feelings for Sasuke and I briefly wondered why an outsider would care so much about an Uchiha. In that moment I realised you must have been from the Koizumi clan. Your love and devotion is imbedded into your very core; it's what makes up your identity, to be by an Uchiha's side."

"But not all Koizumi women were in relationships with Uchiha men, or vice versa," Hikari said as she looked into his captivating eyes.

"This is true, but there is a longing," Itachi responded. "It is said that the first Koizumi fell in love with an Uchiha while she was bound to another man, a man she was supposed to marry in order to ally her clan and another. She felt longing for the Uchiha, and eventually gave up her very body to be with him, possessing another member of her clan and going to live in secret with him." He paused. "If that's not enough proof for you, look at your friend. She is not committed to an Uchiha, yet she longs for the attention of Sasuke." Hikari raised her brow.

"That seems very out of character for Midoriko," Hikari responded. "Midoriko flirts with anything that moves. She doesn't stick to one person." Itachi didn't respond. He told her, she didn't agree, what's the point of continuing. "So, now that we're allowed to see each other, what should be do, Itachi-san?"

"Work on your Taijutsu, let's go."

…

Hikari expected her training session to be just her and Itachi; like it always had been. However, Shizuka appeared and sat herself near some trees for shade and decided to watch and evaluate her daughter's progress. It unnerved Hikari; she didn't like her mother's judgemental eyes watching her every move.

Hikari tried to concentrate on Itachi and what he was going to do, but she couldn't. She kept on finding herself turning her head to check on her mother and trying to read her expression. This left Hikari wide open, and she repeatedly got struck by the relentless Uchiha in front of her.

Itachi suddenly came to a stop and turned to Shizuka.

"Lady Koizumi, I request that you leave because Hikari is unable to concentrate in your presence. If this continues she will become incapacitated before she is even able to start."

"Perhaps," Shizuka responded with a soft smile. "However, what would she do if this was a real fight with an enemy who would finish her off if she was distracted? Hikari should be able to ignore distractions. I'll stay." Itachi sighed.

"So be it," he responded as he turned towards Hikari once again. She was struck with nostalgia when she heard his words and instantly threw herself out of his path before he could strike. The last time she had heard those words, he had broken Sasuke's wrist shortly after. Hikari had to continue putting in extra effort to dodge his new attacks, he wasn't going easy on her and definitely wasn't leaving room for an opening. She couldn't attack and eventually she would be hit, she couldn't dodge forever.

Hikari's breathing began to come out ragged and heavy and her movements had begun to slow. She knew if she was going to attack it would have to be now. She quickly took hold of a kunai and drove it towards Itachi. She became utterly shocked when she had managed to draw blood with a scratch of his cheek. However, her shock didn't last; it turned into pain when she was kicked to the other side of the clearing. She coughed out blood and then tried to stand, however, she was too tired to move her aching muscles and ended up leaning against the tree that was the source of the large purpling bruise forming on her back; it had broken her fall.

Hikari's vision started to blur and as Shizuka approached, her eyes could not focus on the woman. Shizuka wiped the kunai Hikari has used on her leg and then cut open her thumb, forcing it into Hikari's mouth. She felt instant relief of her muscles and the burning inside. Her head started to clear and she felt less tired.

"Madara was not kidding when he said Orochimaru tried to slow Hikari's progress," Shizuka said as she looked at Itachi. "Her Taijutsu has had minor improvement since I was alive. This needs fixing. I expect it to be done as soon as possible."

"Father tried to slow my progress?" Hikari asked weakly as she looked at her mother.

"Don't you ever wonder why your Taijutsu skills are so rusty? He provided you with a reason not to train them; Midoriko. Remember, you are his planned final vessel, he doesn't want you to become too strong."

"It's too late," Itachi said. "Hikari can control the curse mark he put on her. She has already overpowered him."

"She can overpower him while she can supress his chakra. If she cannot supress it, then the mark can control her. You just witnessed her lose control of her chakra, when she is weakened and tired, she doesn't stand a chance."

"In normal combat mode, Hikari is in a three-man cell. She doesn't have to worry about over-fatigue," Itachi stated coolly. "Hikari is not helpless either. In this situation she had no one, normally this isn't the case."

"Well, she is a Koizumi. Being alone is a part of us. She needs to learn not to be so dependant."

"Um," Hikari spoke out. "No offence, mother, but you never trained me when I was child except with Koizumi stuff; I think I should leave my training in Itachi's hands. I am comfortable with him, and I trust his judgment."

"Very well, Hikari," Shizuka sighed. "However, after you have a better handle on Taijutsu, I will teach you very advanced clan Jutsu and secrets. If you're going to be my successor, you need to have all of this. I shall return to Orochimaru, but I don't think I will be there very long." Hikari nodded as she watched her mother stand up and begin to venture back towards the city. "Farewell, Hikari, Itachi."

…

It had been several months since Shizuka had left to return to Orochimaru, and Hikari had not heard from her since. She didn't know how she felt about it, part of her felt a little sting knowing her mother was staying away from her, but another part felt relieved that she didn't have the constant nagging feeling of her mother watching her every move.

However, despite her conflicted feelings about her mother, she was extremely happy too. When Itachi and Hikari were alone, he wasn't cruel or cold towards her. He had opened up just enough to make her feel wanted and important to him; which she had become despite how much he didn't want this to be the case. The only thing she was still conflicted about was the intimate moments they shared whenever they went out on missions; it was really the only time they could show any kind of physical affection. She still wasn't sure if she should be giving herself up to him though, a part of her still remained faithful to Sasuke and it tried to tear at her every time she gazed into Itachi's enigmatic eyes. Even if it did try to tear her apart, it wasn't strong enough to give her the will to resist the feeling of Itachi's lips on hers, or his fingers lightly brushing over her skin. She loved the small shutters her body gave when he touched her, and there was a part of her that was unwilling to give it up just to stay faithful to someone she probably wouldn't ever associate with again.

She was afraid of how she would react if Sasuke managed to succeed in killing Itachi. She accepted that she was in love with both of the Uchiha brothers, but couldn't decide who her feelings were stronger for. She had a terrible feeling that she would grow to resent Sasuke if he killed Itachi, and be consumed by the same bitter hatred that Sasuke's life revolved around. She knew if she wanted to learn from the mistakes she had watched Sasuke make, she would have to forgive him and move on, but the task seemed so terribly impossible for her. She just couldn't imagine forgiving Sasuke for taking someone so dear away from her. However, she also couldn't imagine forgiving Sasuke for betraying her, but she knew that she already had, deep down. Her thoughts were at war.

Currently, Hikari, Kisame and Itachi were not on base; they were traveling. She had grown anxious because she knew Orochimaru would try to take over Sasuke's body very soon, or he had already tried.

Their current target was a man named Roshi who was a Jinchuuriki from Iwagakure, he carried the Yonbi. When they found him, they were to return to the hideout and perform the ritual to claim the Biiju as theirs; something Hikari had been recruited in helping with when Hidan had brought back the Nibi; she recognised this as another crime on top of her head, she was an accessory to murder now. It was hard to watch herself turn into a lowly criminal with no signs of turning back. She just wished she could move on and forgive herself one day.

_Hello my awesome readers, _

_Because this chapter was sort of filler-ish to just kind of update everyone on everything going on in the plot, I decided to give you an extra chapter this week. I hope you enjoy._

_Reviews are always appreciated, there are a few people who review every chapter, and I am glad to see that they're still reading, but some thoughts on the story and characters would be great. I'm looking to improve, so some new voices would be greatly appreciated. Not that I don't appreciate the few who review every week. _

_Thank you for reading and giving me so many kind words, it means a lot to me. _

_-Karnia_


	27. The Twenty Seventh Passage

_**The Twenty-Seventh Passage:**_

Hikari liked it when she woke up before Itachi did. She was able to look at his face without him wondering why, or telling her to stop. However, unlike most people, he looked truly tormented while he slept; it was as if his worst thoughts were chasing him. She knew this wasn't out of the ordinary for him, but she could _see_ it now. It was written on his face; pain, self-loathing, and shame. She wished she knew why, perhaps she would learn more today. Hikari assumed if Itachi was going to tell anyone anything personal, it wouldn't be her; but she could hope.

Itachi's eyes cracked opened and he looked down to see Hikari's child-like aubergine eyes staring up at him. He didn't say anything, he didn't have to, but he knew that look; she was searching for answers. Answers he couldn't give her. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent, bringing her right thumb to her mouth as she did and biting through the flesh. She locked her eyes with his as she lifted the appendage to his lips and let him take it into his mouth as he lightly flicked his tongue over the wound. She sighed and closed her eyes, enjoying the tickling sensation and the intimate moment with him. He took his lips away from her thumb and then brought them to her neck, lightly nipping at the sensitive skin. She let her head fall back and slid her hands onto his back, enjoying the feelings of his muscles flexing as he moved. He brought his lips to hers and they shared a passionate kiss; it was sad for her to know that the amount of kisses they could share were limited. She wished there was some way to same him, but Madara had made sure not to give her any time to look into curing him. He needed Itachi weak.

As he slowly dragged the tip of his tongue over the bottom of her upper-lip, she felt herself shutter and all the fires he always created, flare to life and start spreading the heat throughout her body; she didn't feel guilty this time. She knew that for the rest of the early morning she would enjoy the blissful sensation if Itachi's body pressed against hers.

…

As Hikari, Itachi and Kisame walked she watched the sunset. She was a little unnerved by its colour; it was glowing crimson red. It reminded her of blood, like someone had shed enough of it to cover the sun. Itachi suddenly stopped and looked at it too.

"Hey, what is it, Itachi?" Kisame asked as he pivoted to face the direction his two comrades stood in.

"No…It's nothing," Itachi said as he continued walking again. Hikari frowned and took one last glance at the sun before walking again. When she began to walk, something caught her eye. Soring high in the sky she saw a hawk with a white snake clutched in its talons. Hikari suddenly knew where all the blood came from, her father had been defeated.

…

Midoriko still could not believe all that had happened in the last few days. Shizuka had left the day before Sasuke killed Orochimaru, and disappeared. She wondered if the Koizumi-woman knew about his death. What was even stranger was the fact that Sasuke had recruited her to help him. He didn't give her a choice either.

She was unnerved by the place Sasuke had led them. It was dark and water tanks were everywhere. She followed closely behind Sasuke, afraid something would pop out at her. She had been in rooms like these before; it was where Orochimaru's special experiments were kept. Similar to the room she had first encountered the man who had raped her. Her emerald eyes where glazed with fear.

"Calm yourself, Midoriko," Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Shut up!" she hissed as she jolted when she heard one of the tanks release bubbles.

In the back of the room, but centred, was a tank that was far larger than all of the others. Sasuke walked until he was directly in front of it. Suddenly, a voice spoke, making Midoriko jump.

"I knew it was you…The fact that you're here must mean that you killed Orochimaru."

"Yeah," Sasuke said as he gripped his Katana. Midoriko quickly jumped up onto the stone steps in front of her; she knew he was going to destroy the tank and she didn't want to be soaked with what she didn't exactly think was completely water. "But never mind that. Let's just get you out of here." With one quick slash, he cut open the tank and its contents spilled onto the floor and rushed past Sasuke like a small waterfall. Midoriko watched with a small frown as the room gained a large puddle, someone was materialising, and they were naked.

"Free at last. Thank you, Sasuke."

"Suigetsu, you're the second. Come with me," Sasuke said as he looked over his shoulder at him.

"Me second? There are others then?" Suigetsu said as he lifted himself out of the water.

"Two others," Sasuke confirmed. "I'm taking Jugo from the northern hideout and Karin from the southern. This is Midoriko." Suigetsu smirked.

"The Hebiko's partner?" Suigetsu asked. "Why not just bring the Hebiko, or did she try to stop you from killing her daddy?"

"She ran away from here over a year ago, Suigetsu," Sasuke said with narrowed eyes. "I plan to find her as well, but for other reasons."

"And are you sure about them?"

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"It's nothing. I just don't like them…" Midoriko raised her brow. "I just can't get along with them; at least that's what I think. Sure you picked me, but I wonder about picking those two, Sasuke."

"At least you get a choice," Midoriko muttered, though no one seemed to hear it.

"Enough of your rambling. Put on your clothes…"

"Yes, someone has sense to tell the naked man to get dressed," Midoriko said as she covered her eyes with her hand, trying not to look at Suigetsu. "I like boys, but I don't like looking at you _that_ much."

"We're going," Sasuke said as he turned around and began to walk. Suigetsu began to laugh.

"Ordering me around like a big shot, eh?" Suigetsu asked. Midoriko jumped back when he suddenly appeared behind Sasuke and held his index finger to his temple.

"Let me clarify the relationship between you and me," Suigetsu started.

"You and I," Midoriko corrected. Sasuke was struck with nostalgia by her words; he had once heard Hikari do the same thing.

"Sorry, but you chose the rescue me," Suigetsu said with a smile. "But I never said anything about following you. Just because you defeated Orochimaru doesn't make you better than me. Everyone was after him." Midoriko smiled.

"You know what? I've decided to like you, but some clothes would be nice…"

"You were Orochimaru's pet. You weren't imprisoned and you stayed by his side. You had more chances to kill him than the rest of us…" Tension suddenly filled the area and Midoriko felt herself grow a little scared that there may be a fight between them. "Ha. Gotcha, just kidding…"

"Screw what I said, I don't like you…" Midoriko muttered as she crossed her arms.

"Just to let you know, that makes us even. I'm free, so I'm going to do as I please," Suigetsu said.

"Would you please put on some clothes?" Midoriko pleaded.

"I see, that's unfortunate…" Sasuke said as he began to walk away. "Midoriko, let's go."

…

"That guy was weird," Midoriko said with a shrug. "I'm not sorry he's gone."

"He isn't gone," Sasuke said. "He'll return."

"Oh, in your dreams," Midoriko said. When she began to talk again, Suigetsu's head emerged from a puddle in front of them. "Never mind…"

"By the way, it was your team wasn't it?" Suigetsu shook his hair. Midoriko watched with bored eyes as beads of water flew everywhere. "The team that brought down my great predecessor, Zabuza Momochi?" Suigetsu dove again and began to swim around in the puddle.

"You know how to pick them, Sasuke…"

"What ever happened to his blade, the Executioner's blade?" Suigetsu smiled at Sasuke. "Let's do this. If you tell me where the blade is and it comes into my possession, then I'll be willing to help you." Sasuke nodded and began to walk forwards, through the puddle.

"Put some clothes on."

"Yes, _please_," Midoriko asked as she followed Sasuke. "Or I will _make_ you. It's starting to gross me out."

"You? Make me? Ha!" Suigetsu said with a smirk. "I'd like to see that happen."

"Would you now?" Midoriko asked as she turned to face him and drew a Kunai from her pouch. She brought it down onto her arm as Suigetsu watched with curious eyes.

"Midoriko put it away," Sasuke commanded. "You don't know who is watching." Midoriko sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I shouldn't have to threaten to force you. Just put some clothes on, _please_…"

…

"Itachi," Hikari whispered from behind him. "I think Sasuke is on the move." He nodded.

"I am aware."

"Why does it matter?" Kisame asked. "The last time that punk came face-to-face with Itachi-san, he was beaten to a pulp and put in a coma."

"That was also a little over two years ago," Hikari said with a frown. "How much more powerful do you get by the year, Kisame? Especially when you are being trained by a Sanin, not that Orochimaru should be praised. I'm just concerned about our odds of success in our mission. He could make capturing the Yonbi difficult…"

"How do we know that Orochimaru didn't take Sasuke's body?"

"Because Orochimaru is weak and vulnerable by now," Hikari said. "He has to change bodies every three years, and especially after what the third Hokage did to him, he is going to be very weak. Sasuke could have easily killed him before Orochimaru had the chance to use his rebirth technique."

"I still think we have nothing to worry about," Kisame said with his signature pointed smile. "I have a lot of chakra."

"I am aware of this," Hikari responded. "Even I have a lot of chakra for someone my age. However, do not forget that Sasuke is an Uchiha. There is a certain level of superior ground when it comes to that clan."

"Tsk. Itachi has your mind warped."


	28. The Twenty Eighth Passage

_**The Twenty-Eighth Passage:**_

"Say, Sasuke, as long as I have this blade, I won't even lose to you…Maybe," Suigetsu said with a smirk. "You knew I was going to claim the blade, didn't you? It doesn't matter; anyway, I have my blade, so I will help you as promised." Suigetsu sighed. "Which way do we go? Oh wait; you'd say the nearest route. I'm starting to figure you out, you see." Sasuke scoffed.

"Right, the nearest route."

The group continued to walk for a long time, until they came to water and in the distance, an island.

"Why do we even need to get her?" Midoriko asked as she rolled her eyes. "I can do everything she can. I am a sensory-type ninja, who also has healing abilities. And on top of that, I'm a r_eal_ Kunoichi. All she does is complain and stand around."

"Yes, it's true that you both possess a lot of abilities, but it's also true that the Uchiha and the Koizumi clan work well together," Sasuke informed indifferently.

"But you have already chosen your Koizumi. The bond is not the same," Midoriko argued. "Besides, my blood is not as pure as hers."

"Besides being a Koizumi, You're a good combat-type shinobi as well as an analytical shinobi. However, I don't trust you," Sasuke said as he looked down at Midoriko. "While I can use Karin's chakra to heal myself, it doesn't stand the risk of being controlled once it's inside my body like your blood does."

"Gross, her blood?" Suigetsu asked.

"What, haven't you heard of the Koizumi clan?" Midoriko asked as she rolled her eyes. "We are pretty much puppet master's using our blood. However, we're also a healing clan. We're combat-healers; very useful. Unlike someone else I know," Midoriko said as she looked towards the large rock off of shore.

"As stated," Sasuke said as he looked down at her again. "I don't trust you." Midoriko groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Just great, I seriously _hate_ Karin. She cut my hair once because she was jealous of me…"

…

"Can I ask you something?" Suigetsu asked Sasuke.

"What?"

"Why are you gathering men?"

"I have a goal…" Sasuke answered simply. "I have a better chance of achieving it with a small platoon. Ever since I met Orochimaru, I've been anticipating this moment. I've been preselecting highly skilled shinobi."

"Oh? So why choose Karin?" Suigetsu asked as he spread his arms out and shrugged slightly.

"Exactly," Midoriko grumbled.

"Unlike me, she's a follower of Orochimaru. The warden of the southern hideout where Orochimaru kept his test subjects locked up. After claiming to be under Orochimaru's orders, she tinkered with my body many times."

"Great, so she's a rapist," Midoriko said as she rolled her eyes. "Wonderful, we always need one of those to make the tiny group feel like a family."

"Her personality turns me off as well," Suigetsu said with a smirk.

"Granted," Sasuke said as he looked at Suigetsu and Midoriko. "There were other strong shinobi I could have swayed, but she has a special power that no one else possesses."

"We just went over this…" Midoriko said as she rolled her eyes. "I can do everything she can and more. On top of that, I can do everything _better_ and not get in the _way_ and not be _useless_." Midoriko shook her head. "No, I'll admit, she does things _differently_. Differently, however, is not always good. She creeps me out…"

"For all we know, she could refuse," Suigetsu said with a shrug. "However, I doubt that." He finished as he eyed Sasuke with a smirk. "Uchiha is a ladies man."

"Yeah, to every girl without a brain," Midoriko said as she rolled her eyes. "He's clearly a jerk."

"And I am right here," Sasuke added as he glared at Midoriko.

"So? What's your point?" She asked with a raised brow. Suigetsu smirked.

"You know how to pick them, Sasuke. She's feisty."

"I'm only here for a bit; either as bait or a compass. However, he doesn't seem to get that it never works."

"It will work when you're an inch away from death," Sasuke said as he continued to glare down at her. "My patience is wearing thin."

"Hey look," Midoriko said, changing the subject. "We're here."

…

"Sasuke?" Midoriko asked. He looked down at her as they left the hideout with their newest comrade. "You're not going to hurt Hikari, are you?"

"There is only one person I wish to kill," Sasuke said as he looked back towards the horizon.

"Yes, but hurt and kill are not the same thing," Midoriko whispered. "I can't do this if you're going to harm my companion. She has been my best friend since childhood; I could not betray her like that. You do not scare me, Uchiha. I will get out of here if I need to."

"I won't hurt her unless she gets in the way," Sasuke said emotionlessly. Midoriko blinked and stopped walking, just staring at him. She could detect no lie, but saying that to her implied that he didn't care what happened to Hikari.

"You don't know what's going on with her," Midoriko whispered.

"I talked to her recently," Sasuke said as he looked down at her. "She is beyond help."

"Considering you drove her there," Midoriko said raising her voice. Karin and Suigetsu now looked at both of them curiously. "Even if Orochimaru is dead, his successor is alive. I don't follow you, Uchiha."

"That girl?" Karin asked with a scoff. "As if anyone can take her seriously; all she does is mope around about losing her mother. No one will ever accept her as the next head-man around here. Except you, of course." Midoriko turned around and glared harshly at Karin.

"You'd better watch your step," she threatened. "I don't like you at all." Midoriko looked back at Sasuke with fierce eyes. "You have no idea what you put her through! I talked to her before you even knew she was in the hideout, and do you know what she said to me? She couldn't hate you no matter what she tried. She said she loved you, but couldn't watch you destroy yourself because it would hurt her too much! You drove her to your brother! You did this, and now you're going to 'dispose' of her if she tries to stand in your way? You're sick! All you do is use people to their extent and then cast them away. You're a rotten person Sasuke, the worst kind. I hope your brother kills you. I'm routing for it, in fact. I'm out of here."

"And where do you think you'll go?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow.

"Where I belong," Midoriko yelled as tears started to leak from her eyes. "Protecting the people I love. And on second thought, you should keep Karin around because you just lost a member of this wretched team. Screw you." Midoriko started to run away from them.

"Are you just going to let her go?" Suigetsu asked as he watched her go. Sasuke nodded.

"She will lead us to my goal without knowing it," Sasuke said as he looked towards Karin.

"So that was your plan all along?" Suigetsu asked with a smirk. "You wanted her to run off and lead the way for Karin to track. I think I'm starting to figure you out. However, Sasuke, who is this girl she talks about? It sounds like you have a secret girlfriend you didn't tell us about." Suigetsu implied as he wiggled his eyebrows. Sasuke scoffed.

"I met the Hebiko in Konoha and she was infatuated with me, like every other girl around here. She's nothing. Let's go." Suigetsu smirked.

"Ha, yeah right. Rumours spread. Everyone knows you and the Hebiko hooked up."

"Che."

…

"Well, well," Kisame said as he looked down at Hikari who's attention was focused on the small book she had been reading. She snapped it shut and looked up at him. "Studying?"

"There are other ways to train the body and mind other than physical combat," Hikari replied curtly as she looked around the cave they were inside. She had been growing tired of caves. "Why is it that Itachi is scouting and it's your target?"

"Snappy," Kisame said with a grin. "I guess you've heard about Orochimaru."

"I have," was Hikari's reply; her tone came across as if she was saying 'and your point is?' to him. "It doesn't really surprise me. I knew things were going to go down one way or another."

"You seem tired," Kisame comment, still grinning. His statement wasn't incorrect, lately she had been feeling exhausted with no particular reason for it. She wondered if she had been over exerting herself during training. She had begun to learn a new element in the past months and it was putting a lot of strain on her.

"In all honesty, I am…I'm wondering if my participation in this mission is even worthwhile, or if I will just get in the way." Hikari suddenly looked up at her colleague with a thoughtful expression. "Would it make sense that when someone dies, all the Jutsu they've performed would be erased?"

"I would think it would depend on the Jutsu," Kisame said as he sat down. "In my opinion, the Jutsu would wear off if it's a Jutsu that has to be directly commanded by the dead user; the Jutsu that Itachi-san put on you for example. But, I think a Jutsu that is a seal, and doesn't need direct contact with its caster anymore would last past their death." Hikari nodded.

"That does make sense," Hikari said to herself as she bit her thumbnail. "Thanks."

"Eh, no problem," Kisame said with a shrug. "I wish there was some food around here. I'm starving."

"Here," Hikari said as she tossed him a container out of her bag. "I brought food with me to eat. You can have it, I'm not hungry and we're not far away from a town." Kisame grinned as he caught the container and opened it, removing a rice-ball from within. While Kisame chomped away on his food, Hikari's mind began to wonder as she brought the book out again and made it look like she was reading. She stared blankly at the page.

"_If my father is really dead, should the curse mark have disappeared? Why do I still feel its presence, like it's trying to take over if he is no longer around to influence it?_" Hikari asked herself as she leaned against the wall of the cave and shut her eyes. Because of her recent fatigue, she had been feeling the mark's aching burn, like it wanted to spread everywhere and take control. She had no logical explanation for why she was so tired. Even though she had been using new jutsu, it took no more chakra from her than usual, but she had another small idea that didn't make a lot of sense. The only thing she could think of was the fact that she had never given her blood away so frequently before. She had never had to use her chakra that much. She knew that she had to put extra chakra into the blood she gave Itachi, but she wondered if it was starting to take its toll. She looked at Kisame who had just swallowed the last bite of his food. "_If that's the case, perhaps I shouldn't have given him my food_…"


	29. The Twenty Ninth Passage

_**The Twenty-Ninth Passage:**_

Her leather boots padded through the forest floor, and many leaves crunched under her feet. Midoriko was sure that if she had been in different terrain, she wouldn't have made a sound. However, she didn't mind making noise because the forest was her familiar territory; she felt safest among the element she could manipulate so easily. With thoughts of her powers, mental images started to come to mind and it made her cringe. She never used to be a wood-elemental; not before she met Orochimaru, that is.

"_He may do terrible things to you, Midoriko…" _

"_I don't have anywhere else to go, miss." _

"_Oh? Why don't you have somewhere to call home?" _

"_My parents are dead…I know Orochimaru-sama might experiment on me, but I think it is worth being Hikari-san's friend." Shizuka raised a thin auburn brow. _

"_Is that so?" _

"_Yes, Hikari seems very nice." _

"_He may do terrible things to her too. Watch out for her, little one."_

"_I wouldn't care if he hurt me, but I want to protect Hikari-san." _

"_That is noble of you, Midoriko."_

When Midoriko thought back to her early encounters with Shizuka, she realised that what she said was untrue. Midoriko wished she would have turned around and returned to her home. She never wanted what she got with Orochimaru. It seemed like most people, she could drop dead at any minute; if the first Hokage's cells took over. She wasn't sure how long she could resist. She often wondered if it was similar to having a curse-mark. She wondered if she went through the same pain as Hikari.

However, no matter how much she liked to compare herself to her comrade, she knew she was inferior to her in every sense of the word. Midoriko saw herself as weak and easily manipulated.

She paused and looked around the woods, unsure of where to go. She had told Sasuke she was going to Hikari, but she wasn't sure if it was the best idea knowing that Karin could easily follow her. Midoriko also thought about going to try and eliminate the threat to the Koizumi. However, something still felt off about that, and she thought for-sure that Hikari knew something. With a sigh, she changed her direction to north-west, where she would eventually hit Iwagakure. She could sense Hikari's chakra, and it was growing weak. A frown tugged at Midoriko's lips and she took off.

…

"When did she fall asleep?" Itachi asked Kisame as he entered the cave and noticed the Koizumi leaning against the wall.

"Maybe an hour ago," Kisame said with a shrug. "She was acting strange." Itachi raised a brow at his colleague.

"_It's midday, and Hikari does not nap_…"

"She asked me about the possibility of a Jutsu not wearing off after the caster dies." Itachi looked back at Hikari and frowned. He walked to her and checked her pulse, feeling that her heart was beating slow and weak. "She's dying."

"That's a pity," Kisame said with a shrug.

"The leader wants her alive," Itachi said with narrowed eyes.

"What am I supposed to do? I'm not a medical ninja. She'll be dead before we get her to the post-town anyways. There is nothing we can do."

"What's wrong with her!" Itachi looked to the cave entrance and recognised the person standing in it to be Hikari's comrade.

"Are you a medical-shinobi?" Itachi asked. Midoriko nodded and rushed into the cave and pushed him out of the way. She didn't even seem sorry for it, and Kisame was slightly surprised that Itachi let Midoriko just walk in their resting place.

"Who's she?"

"Hikari's former comrade," Itachi explained as he watched Midoriko intensely.

Midoriko checked Hikari's pulse and frowned. She went on to smell her breath and then shook her head. Next she checked her ears for any residue and then scowled. If Hikari had been poisoned, it was with a weapon which was harder to pinpoint. The poison would be directly in Hikari's blood stream. She began to take off her friends clothes, starting with her shirt to check for scratches and cuts. She frowned and pulled off Hikari's mesh shirt, looking on her stomach.

"Lift her so I can check her back," Midoriko commanded. Itachi walked forwards and lifted Hikari while Midoriko used her sense of sight and touch to check for wounds. Midoriko growled and motioned Itachi to lay Hikari back onto the ground. She began to take off Hikari's pants when she came across a very small puncture wound on her calf. Midoriko nodded and bit her thumb, putting the blood into Hikari's mouth. She had control of the flow of Hikari's blood now. Next she took a kunai from her pouch and sterilized it with a liquid from a leather bag she also retrieved. She began to cut into Hikari's other leg when the girl bolted awake and screamed. "Don't move, and help me." Hikari gasped and went to clutch her leg, but before Midoriko even commanded it, Itachi grabbed her and held her back. "You can't heal it yet."

"Ah! What are you doing!" Hikari said as she winced.

"Clean your blood as I circulate it. You're looking for poison," Midoriko commanded as she finished cutting open the new wound on Hikari's leg. With one green-lit hand she began to lift the blood out of the poisoned wound and then pass it through Hikari's hands that were glowing blue. With her other hand, Midoriko took the blood that Hikari cleaned and forced it into the wound she had created. From there she would force the new blood to push the old blood out and therefore removing most of the poison. Hikari let out another scream and threw her head back as Midoriko quickened the pace; she tried desperately to focus, but was finding it hard when her curse-mark ached so badly. "Look, you're starting to get some of the toxins," Midoriko said as she watched the translucent liquid be absorbed by the light engulfing Hikari's hands. After another minute, Midoriko finished and healed both wounds. Hikari yelled again and then swung her hand towards the wall, where the small amount of liquid she had collected seeped into the walls. Midoriko frowned as she looked at Itachi. "Whoever did this meant to kill her quickly and quietly. She would have only lasted twenty more minutes if I hadn't of showed up." Midoriko sighed and brought her hands to Hikari's head, putting the girl to sleep. She took the cloak on the floor and covered Hikari. "I can't stay long. I'm sure Sasuke means to follow me with his new team." Midoriko checked over Hikari once again. "She'll be fine. However, I have to go." Midoriko stood and stretched.

"Do not kill the culprit of the Koizumi murders," Itachi commanded. "Look on his hand and you should be able to figure out why." Midoriko raised her brow. "You will regret killing him, so do not."

"Okay, okay," Midoriko said as she put her hands up in defeat. "Capture?"

"Alert Hikari when you have."

"Yeah, I can do that," Midoriko said with a shrug. "Anyways, I have to go. Good luck, and watch out for Sasuke. Don't let Hikari wander off by herself. She's a magnet for trouble." Without another word Midoriko left the cave and then took off, heading south.

"What a weird girl," Kisame said with his usual grin.

…

"Think," Pein demanded. Hikari sighed.

"I've told you for the hundredth time, I do not know who tried to assassinate me," Hikari scowled. "The only people I have been around lately are Itachi, Kisame, and Midoriko. None of those people would try to kill me. It had to have been someone I _didn't_ see." Pein sighed and leaned against the cave wall; the team was forced to report the incident to Madara, and Madara decided to send Pein to meet them in the rock-country instead of them traveling to Amegakure. "It wouldn't have been the person murdering my people, but of course you knew that already."

"What about Orochimaru? Are there any poison masters among his circle?" Pein asked.

"Kabuto, and I wouldn't put it past him, but the thing is that I haven't eaten anything I haven't gathered and made myself. I haven't let people near me when traveling, because you know it's kind of suspicious when people get close to you on almost deserted pathways. And it couldn't have happened when I was sleeping; I highly doubt they could have slipped passed these two," Hikari said as she motioned towards Itachi and Kisame with her hand.

"Sasori is dead, so it made analysing the poison next to impossible," Pein said with a frown. "Shizuka offered to instead of Kakuzu, who we tried originally. She made the antidote in case this happens again."

"Wouldn't the person think I'm dead?" Hikari asked with a raised brow. "If it wasn't for Midoriko, I would be…" Pein tossed her a small bag and she caught it.

"Nonetheless, take these."

"Fine," Hikari said as she looked around. "We should continue moving. We have a Jinchuuriki to catch." Pein nodded and then disappeared. Hikari let out a relieved sigh. "Itachi, may I speak to you?"

"I know what's going to happen," Kisame said as he grinned. "I'll leave." Hikari picked up a rock and chucked it at him.

"Next time it'll be something sharp!" Hikari let out an annoyed sigh and turned towards Itachi. "There was something I didn't tell the leader," she started. Itachi looked down into her eyes, waiting for her to continue. "That poison was a signature recipe from a Sound Village shinobi; I'd recognise its affects anywhere." Hikari sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "Itachi that poison was created by Shiori Takahashi; only Midoriko and I know how to create it. I have a really bad feeling Kabuto's been snooping through my belongings. It's a very slow acting poison, it takes months to activate. It's specifically designed to kill Koizumi and act against their blood. It takes so much time because it is slowly eating away at stored chakra supply and destroying chakra pathways. It makes it so our abilities no longer work."

"And how would Kabuto manage to get this poison into your system? You said it yourself; there wasn't any way it could have happened," Itachi said as he looked into her eyes with his piercing scarlet eyes.

"But there was a way," Hikari said as she bit her lip. "I had a run in with Sasuke no longer than two months ago. It's in the timeframe."

"I doubt Sasuke would poison you," Itachi said sceptically.

"I'm not saying he did, he just led my assassin to me," Hikari retorted with a frown. "I distinctly remember getting pricked, and even checking to see if something was there, but seeing no wound of entrance. I thought that perhaps I got bit by a bug, but now I think it was a needle."

"Exactly when did this happen?"

"I was by myself if that's what you're wondering," Hikari confirmed.

"You should not be by yourself when you have agents from your father trying to kill you," Itachi said with a frown.

"I think Kabuto was aiming to incapacitate me," Hikari said with a scowl. "And then take me back to my father where he had a batch of antidote waiting. It would make sense, because he tried to sedate me before and it didn't work. It just made my body feel really tired, it didn't knock me out."

"If you're not wrong about this, it means he's lurking about. You're not to go anywhere alone," Itachi said in a very serious tone as he narrowed his eyes.

"Kabuto isn't a threat. Either of us could take him, forget Kisame who would just _love_ to injure the guy when he keeps trying to heal himself," Hikari said as she crossed her arms.

"You're not to go anywhere alone," Itachi repeated, in the same serious tone. "Do you understand?"

"Yeah, whatever. I get it. Happy?" Hikari asked with a frown. Itachi did not answer. "Look, I'll be fine. You don't have to worry. My DNA wasn't destroyed, so my chakra can heal the networks."

"Hikari, you almost died," Itachi said quietly. "I cannot afford for that to happen."

"You _are_ worried," Hikari said with surprise. Hikari gently smiled and then slowly pulled the Uchiha into a warm embrace. "Don't worry about me. I have antidote now and almost every other poison won't kill me." Itachi did not respond to her advance, but she knew that it wasn't unwelcomed because he relaxed in her embrace. "It means a lot to me to know that you do, though."


	30. The Thirtieth Passage

_Okay, so I really wanted to get this chapter out, so I posted one extra for today. I'm just getting so anxious for the future chapters!_

…..

_**The Thirtieth Passage;**_

"I still cannot believe that Deidara was killed," Hikari said as she watched the rain pour. "Though it makes sense when you think about it; I wouldn't put being a Kamikaze past him. It's seems a little melodramatic though…"

"How judgemental of you," Kisame said with his usual grin. "You never reframe from speaking your mind, do you?"

"I'm a Koizumi, what do you expect?" Hikari asked with a raised brow. "It's just how I am."

Kisame sighed and looked out of the cave mouth they were standing in.

"It just won't stop," he said as he looked at the water droplets that splashed down in rapid succession. "It's strange to have this much rain at this time of year."

Itachi stepped forwards without a word to his companions. He walked about ten feet and then stopped, looking up into the sky. "You'll ruin your health." Hikari sighed and pulled her cloak tighter to herself. "I don't know what someone as cold as you would be thinking right about now, but from here it looks as though you are crying. It's too bad about your younger brother. You are now the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan."

"No," Itachi said.

"Hmm?" Kisame asked. Hikari looked up and suddenly the rain slowed to a drizzle.

"He is not dead."

"What do you mean?" Kisame asked.

"What else could he mean?" Hikari retorted as she folded her arms. "Obviously, Sasuke isn't dead. He's more cunning than that."

"The rain has stopped," Itachi said. "Let's go…"

"Itachi-sama," Hikari said as she walked towards him and bit her thumb. "Take my blood; you're going to make yourself worse like Kisame said." She wondered if he would take it from her because he didn't move to even look at her; she had a small feeling that they were waiting for Sasuke to show up eventually. She sighed in defeat, but then looked up when Itachi took her hand in his and brought her thumb to him mouth. After a moment, he let the limb fall.

"Thank you, Hikari," he said quietly.

"No problem, Itachi-sama."

"How come you don't ever share your blood when I get injured?" Kisame asked as he approached them.

"Why should I?" Hikari asked as she turned to him. "I was only ordered to let Itachi-sama use it, and you have Samehada." Kisame grinned.

"Ah, that's right."

…

At the call of her name, Hikari looked towards Itachi.

"I want you to rendezvous with Leader-sama, wait here for him," he commanded.

"Yes, Itachi-sama," Hikari said with a nod. Inside, her heart sank. She had a really bad feeling about leaving Itachi. He had used Kisame's presence to his advantage as well; Hikari wouldn't be able to beg him to stay. What hurt her the most though was the fact that she was unable to say goodbye. He looked her directly in the eyes, and then turned around and left with Kisame trailing beside him. She frowned as she slid down the trunk on a tree and waited.

A foot stepped into her view and she jumped when she looked up to see Itachi, but she understood almost instantly; it was a genjutsu. He had cast it on her at the last second. His expression was distant, but there was a hint of sorrow in it. What he was feeling this emotion for, Hikari could not tell. He knelt in front of her and then touched her face, caressing her cheek. She held her head and looked at her feet.

"You understand then…" Itachi murmured.

"That you're saying goodbye?" Hikari asked as she tried to hold back her tears. He didn't say anything in return; he just continued to brush his thumb against her cheek.

"Thank you, Itachi," she said quietly. He looked at her indifferently. "You said goodbye. No one has ever done that, they always just disappear and leave me to wonder." He nodded and lightly pressed his lip to her forehead.

"Don't hate Sasuke," he uttered as he lightly touched her face, but before she could respond, he faded.

Tears started to cascade down her face. Hikari lifted her shaking hands to bury her face in them. She wasn't sure what to do with herself. Itachi ordered her to stay there, in front of Kisame, so she had to obey. She could not directly defy it by running after him. She also respected him too much. On the other hand, she really wanted him to live and stay with her, so her legs twitched with the will to run as fast as she could. However, she wasn't sure if it was worth dying for. Hikari knew Itachi was worth dying for, but she wasn't sure that he would even listen to her desperate pleas. She wasn't sure if he knew how much she loved him.

"Hikari." She looked up and saw Madara standing in front of her. "I see Itachi has done what I thought he would. He would not have wanted you to see his fight with Sasuke."

"He doesn't want me to see only because he's going there to die!" Hikari yelled as she stood. "Stop talking like he is already dead! You did this to him! You did this to all of them! You ruined my life!"

"I will excuse your rudeness this once simply because your grief has flooded your senses," Madara said in a menacing tone. "Now come, Hikari. We have work to do." Hikari stood rooted to her spot, not moving an inch as her palm started to burn. Madara walked five steps before realising that she was not following him. He looked over his shoulder at her. "I ordered you to follow me. Did you hear?" The mark started to sear hotter than it ever had, but Hikari would not move.

"I won't go!" she hissed through gritted teeth.

"You cannot save him, Hikari," Madara said. "You never could." The mark's burning started to ease a little, making her look at her palm. "Itachi would not listen to you even if you ran after him and begged him not to go. It's useless and the first part of our deal has been fulfilled. However, I need you to work for me now. I believe the hardest of what you'll have to endure is over. Now follow me, or parish. It's your choice." Hikari inwardly struggled as tears leaked from her eyes. She wanted more than anything to help Itachi, and she wondered if she were to die, would he be there waiting for her? However, she had a feeling that Itachi would have wanted her to live. She took in a shaky breath and then took a hesitant step towards Madara, and then another.

Before long, she was walking and trying her best not to look over her shoulder. She knew if she didn't look back, she could move forwards.

"_I was never meant to save him_," she told herself over and over, shutting her eyes tightly as she did, trying desperately to make the message stick; to force herself believe it. In the end, it only made more tears fall.


	31. The Thirty First Passage

_Okay, so I am really busy this weekend and Monday. I have a B-day party for a friend, and then Sunday I have friends over. Monday I'm going to an amusement park, so as an extra special gift to show you guys how much I love you, I updated. :P. Better early than late. _

…..

_**The Thirty-First Passage:**_

"So, while Itachi dies, you want me to just hang around and help you hold off Konoha shinobi?" Hikari asked with she raised her brow.

"Yes," Madara said. "Here they come." Hikari sighed and leaned against a tree. About after a minute after they spoke, Naruto came into view.

"Naruto, hmm?" Hikari asked herself as she looked at him. "What a pain."

"Konnichiwa!" Naruto suddenly threw his arms in front of himself, and let out a yell as he tumbled backwards onto the ground. Madara let out a childish laugh, pretending to be 'Tobi'.

"Oh not this again," Hikari muttered to herself. "I'm starting to think you're nuts…"

"Oh my, oh my! Hello there~"

"How you can sound so optimistic while losing one of the best members is beyond me…"

"I never imagined I'd meet leaf-shinobi way out here," Madara said enthusiastically. "Hmm, it's nine against two; that just isn't fair."

"Two?" A sun-kissed pink haired woman asked with worried eyes.

"Hello, sensei," Hikari said as she stepped out of her shadowy hiding spot, rolling her eyes. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"According to his robe, they're Akatsuki," a man with brown hair and eyes said.

"I'm not a part of them…" Hikari said as she rolled her eyes.

"Not yet~" Tobi sang. "Hikari-chan wants to be a full-member! Yay!"

"You're hilarious, really," Hikari said as she looked at him and put her hands on her hips. "Are we going to deal with them or not?"

"He's not on the list Kabuto gave us," Kakashi said as he looked up.

"That's because I'm new!" Madara said with a laugh. "It's nice to meet you."

"He's outnumbered, so the advantage is ours," Kakashi whispered in response to something the others had said that Hikari hadn't heard.

"What's this? I'm being underestimated?" Madara asked as he cocked his head to a side.

"Well, when you speak like you're a child who was just given a lolly-pop all the time, that's a given, Tobi-sama," Hikari said as she crossed her arms.

"Oh, I love lolly-pops!" Hikari sighed.

"Case and point. Thanks. Now like I asked, can we _hurry_?" Hikari asked urgently.

"Why the rush?" Asami asked.

"Well, let's see," Hikari said as she put her hand to her chin as if thinking. "Sasuke-baka is on his way to kill Itachi-sama. If I get there, I can revive my master if he falls to that idiot."

"Such harsh words~" Tobi sang.

"Not really, I could say worse."

"So you've fallen that low?" Sakura asked. "That you'd save Itachi Uchiha just to piss off Sasuke-kun?" Hikari let out a bitter laugh.

"You're still trying aren't you?" she asked as she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms once again. "You don't get it do you? Why would Sasuke love a stupid bitch like you? I tried to warn you all those times in Konoha, but you wouldn't listen to me would you?" Hikari smirked and brought her hand to her forehead and put the other on her hip. She let out a harsh and cruel laugh. "What would you give to be in my place, Sakura? What would you give to have Sasuke so desperate for your attention? You're a pathetic and jealous fool. You're just angry because I was able to have him, and then toss him away when I was done."

"Hikari," Kakashi said with narrowed eyes. "Enough."

"Whatever, gramps," Hikari said with a huff. "I'm sick of all you people." Madara studied them and everything fell silent until Naruto loudly announced his presence behind them.

"Get out of our fucking way!" Hikari shook her head as she simply jumped to a side and dodged the attack. Naruto's rasengan went through Tobi and the childish man began to laugh.

"Great, now Tobi has found himself a play-mate," Hikari said as she sat down and held her head in her palm. "Now I'm never getting out of here."

"Everyone we're going into formation eight," the brown haired man yelled again.

"Understood," everyone yelled back.

"Ah, Hikari, let's see what Itachi-san taught you, eh?" Tobi asked. Asami narrowed her eyes. Hikari sighed as her palm began to burn and then stood up.

"Why not?" Hikari asked as she stretched. She narrowed her eyes as she disappeared, and then reappeared behind Asami before the older woman could blink. She knelt down and tripped Asami with her leg while launching into doing flips and kicking her former sensei with her feet as she did. She ran forwards and punched Asami with a brutal hit and watched as the woman flew back and hit a tree.

"Asami!" Kakashi yelled.

"Ah, ah!" Madara yelled. "I'm your opponent, let the girls play!"

Asami stood and attacked Hikari, aiming for her vital areas, but she hadn't realised how much Hikari had advanced in Taijutsu. Hikari didn't get hit by any attack Asami sent her way.

"Your team mates will not get past Tobi," Hikari hissed as she hit her former sensei again. Asami back up and held her stomach.

"You've gotten strong…cell six could be amazing…"

"You're a failure of a sensei, there is no cell six," Hikari uttered with narrowed eyes. She suddenly kicked Asami into a tree. "And there never will be again!" Before Hikari could attack again, Kakashi appeared and grabbed Asami, running away from the scene and towards the group. Hikari followed. Sakura looked at Asami with wide eyes.

"Asami-san!" her eyes directed towards Hikari. "_Not even a scratch_?"

"Oi, Tobi-sama, this blows," Hikari said as she passed through the group. A hand landed on her shoulder and her eyes suddenly became very cold. "You have five seconds to stop touching me."

"What happened to you, Hikari?" Naruto asked with softened eyes. "You were the nicest girl I knew."

"That's the problem. You didn't know me. I pretended to be what you needed in order to obtain what I needed. You were just a tool, Naruto, as was everyone else."

"Except Sasuke," Naruto said with a glare.

"You guys have me all wrong," Hikari said as she turned. "I hope Sasuke dies, not Itachi. I don't want anything to do with him. Here's some advice I had to tell myself once. Sasuke is poison, cut your ties before it's too late."

"And then go sleep with his brother!" Sakura yelled in an angered tone. Hikari looked at her with a very menacing expression.

"Watch what you say about Itachi-sama, pink-y. I'm not his type."

"We don't have time to screw around like this!" Naruto yelled.

"Yeah, we'll do battle formation A next."

"Oh, Hikari-chan~"

"Yeah, yeah," Hikari said in a bored tone as she jumped into the tree Madara was in. "It's not like you even need my help, Tobi-sama…" Hikari growled. "I have had enough waiting!" Madara looked at her curiously.

"You are not allowed to leave, Hikari-chan. Those were Itachi-san's orders. He doesn't want you to see his fight," Madara explained again.

"Yes, he told _me_ to wait here," Hikari said as she started to do handsigns. "But that doesn't mean I cannot send a clone of myself." As a clone appeared, she cut open her arm and took a vial from her pouch, letting the blood drip into it. "Take this to Itachi-sama. Get there before anything happens!"

"Yes!" the clone exclaimed as it took the vial and pocketed it.

"Hey, you found a loop hole~" Madara said in an excited tone. "Oh, I wonder what the Uchiha brothers are going to do!"

"Shut your mouth, Tobi," Hikari hissed.

"Don't let that clone get away!" Kakashi exclaimed. "She's trying to aid the enemy!" As Asami turned, Madara suddenly appeared in front of her and wacked her with a sick.

"No you don't~" Hikari smirked and looked at Madara.

"Now I can give this fight my all."

"Yay! Tobi is a good boy!" Hikari narrowed her eyes.

"I'll leave these guys to you; I want to deal with my old sensei."

…

As Hikari was about to attack Asami once more, she was stopped by the sudden arrival of her clone. Her eyes widened and her heart sank. It was not good news.

"I'm sorry, I was too late," her clone said, and then disappeared. The vial of blood the clone had been carrying dropped and shattered on the ground. All she tried to do was breathe and not be conscious of how hard her heart hammered in her chest. She looked up and saw Zetsu materialise next to Madara. Before the grief had really hit her, tears were slowly leaking out of her eyes. Asami's eyes widened as she watched her former student fall to her knees and begin to sob. Asami didn't think, she just fell beside her student and pulled her into an embrace. However, because Hikari didn't respond, she lifted her hand to knock her out, but the girl suddenly vanished from her arms.

Hikari jolted to her feet and looked around. She was in a black abyss, and the only objects in sight were grey blocks. She promptly wiped her eyes and looked around once again, feeling fearful.

"Where am I?" she asked herself with a frown. Before she could really think about the situation at hand, she thought about Itachi again, and how he was dead. More tears welled in her eyes and she hung her head. She laid down on the block she was on and looked upwards, seeing nothing but black skies. Hikari surprised herself when she realised that she didn't even care about breaking out of wherever she was. All she cared about was the fact that Sasuke killed Itachi and she wanted him to pay for it.


	32. The Thirty Second Passage

_**The Thirty-Second Passage:**_

Hikari awoke with a start when she felt an immense pressure. She opened her eyes and found she was in a dark and damp cave.

"Heal him, Hikari," Madara commanded her. Hikari blinked and adjusted her eyes to the dim light in the cave caused by a candle. At her knees was Sasuke.

"You cannot be serious, right?" Hikari asked weakly. "He cannot join the organization! It's dangerous!"

"We're low on members; losing Sasori, Hidan, Kakuzu, Deidara, and Itachi is too many members. We need replacements. You've been promoted as well, a full time member," Madara said as he crossed his arms. "Now heal Sasuke." Hikari sighed and her hands began to shake. "You really like to make my life miserable, don't you?" Hikari looked up at Madara. "I did not run away from my father, I ran away from him." She pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke. "And then when I finally found someone I could put my trust into again, you want me to heal the man who killed him? You're twisted."

"Stop questioning me," Madara demanded. "Heal him, now. I am growing tired of your insolence." Hikari's hand started to burn and she growled.

"Yes, your majesty," she said sarcastically. "If it were up to me, I'd let him die."

"Sasuke's Sharingan is too powerful to let him die," Madara said as he watched Hikari take a kunai from her weapons pouch. She sliced open her arm and began to draw the blood from her body. "He has the potential to surpass Itachi."

"Don't speak of Itachi," Hikari demanded as she began to apply her blood to Sasuke's external wounds. "I don't want to hear you utter his name. It may have been Sasuke who fought him until his sickness was able to take control, but you poisoned Itachi."

"So Itachi told you?" Madara asked with a smirk.

"Itachi has told me nothing, however, I'm a little more observant than I let on. I don't know any details, but I know Itachi was not the man he was pretending to be," Hikari said in an uncertain tone as tears began to well up in her eyes once again.

"Well, you will hear the whole story at the same time as Sasuke, then," Madara said. "However, for now, I need you to concentrate on healing the boy."

"I know, can't you see that's what I'm doing?" Hikari asked as she removed her blood from the wound and then reached into her ninja pouch, retrieving a small wooden bowl. She set it down and let the blood drop into it. She healed her own wound and then sighed. She peeled Sasuke's shirt away from his body and frowned at the huge gash on Sasuke's abdomen. She controlled the blood and lifted it once again, bringing it to his wound and then waited for a bit before pulling the blood away again. She nodded when she saw that Sasuke's cut had been fully healed and his skin looked untouched except the scar that remained behind. Hikari repeated this process several times until all of his major wounds were gone externally. She applied ointment to his smaller wounds and then bandaged his chest to cover up the scratches from infection. She gasped when she realised something was missing from his body, however. His curse mark was gone. Without a second thought, she cleansed the blood by pulling away any bacteria and then forced it into Sasuke's mouth, letting him swallow it for any internal damage.

"You've become skilled at healing," Madara commented with a smirk.

"Well, when you live with someone who is terminally ill for two years, you get the hang of things you need to carry around," Hikari replied curtly as she tried to bite back her tears. She hadn't realised it had been so long. Memories suddenly filled her head, and all she could picture was Itachi's sleeping face. The sadness spilled over and flowed down her cheeks.

"_I won't ever see him again_." The realization was sudden for her. She hadn't acknowledged that fact yet. Her heart felt like it was weighed down and her breath hitched in her throat, making it painful to try and breath. "_It just hurts so much_." She held her head in the palm of her hand, not caring that she was obviously breaking down in front of the person she should be most guarded in front of. Itachi's eyes haunted her mind, and so did his kiss. She abruptly stood and walked away from Madara and Sasuke.

"Where are you going?"

"I need air," she replied, however, her voice cracked. She didn't make it out of the cave before she collapsed and started to sob, she just made it around a corner. However, she'd rather Madara hear her cry than see it. She took several deep breaths but the tears wouldn't stop falling. She closed her eyes, but when she opened them, she saw Itachi in front of her again, hand outstretched to her; however, as soon as she let hope start to blossom inside, she realised it was just her mind projecting what she desperately wished to see.

…

Sasuke opened his eyes only to see the jagged stalactites of the cave ceiling.

"I had your wounds taken care of." Sasuke sat up, but his face remained blank. Once he had fully taken in his location, he looked towards the source of the voice, but only saw darkness. Far off, he could hear the quiet sounds of someone crying; he wondered if he imagined it. "You won." His mind reeled back and showed him his brother's dead face and somehow it made him feel as if someone threw a stone inside of him and it ricocheted; it made him feel void and empty. Like there was nothing left. "However, you've sustained quite a bit of damage yourself." He heard the sounds of footsteps and it snuffed out the sobs he could faintly hear. The man who had spoken stepped out of the shadows. "Try not to force yourself up." Sasuke looked away from the man and towards the blanket that covered him. "We've met once before." Sasuke looked at the man and had another memory play for him. "Last time it was as enemies. Don't worry about Deidara's death, because I am not your enemy now." Madara sighed. "I brought you here in order to tell you something." Silence fell between them and Sasuke didn't even react to the man's words. The sobbing had stopped and heard more footsteps, quiet ones, almost hesitant to come forth. "You're not interested at all, are you? Perhaps if I rephrase myself, you'd want to listen? It's about Uchiha Itachi." Sasuke used his eyes to look towards the man. He could hear that the footsteps had entered the cavern; however the person remained in the shadows. "Yes, you think you know about your brother, but you know nothing." The man reached up to his mask. "Oh, all right, let's start with introductions. Like you, I am a survivor of the Uchiha clan." Sasuke lifted his head and looked at the man as he removed his mask enough to show his eye. "I am also the one who knows the truth about Uchiha Itachi." Suddenly, Sasuke felt a sharp pain to his eye as his Sharingan activated. But it felt off, it wasn't _his_ Sharingan. His eye started to bleed, and before he registered what happened, black flames sparked to life and engulfed the man in front of him. The man dropped his mask with a gasp. He struggled as the flames tried to annihilate him. He fell into the darkness and out of Sasuke's sight. Sasuke cringed and held his eye as it bled. Sasuke heard a scream come from the man, and then the distinct sound of the flames disappeared. Sasuke sighed with relief when his eye stopped burning.

"What was that just now?" Sasuke asked himself quietly. He looked towards the shadows, still taking laboured breaths. He heard footsteps once again and then the man's voice.

"The Amaterasu, which Itachi implanted in you." The man walked out of the shadows and put his mask back on. Sasuke's eyes widened at his words. "How like Itachi, he surprises you even after he is dead. To think he planned things this far…" Sasuke watched the man intensely.

"What are you talking about?"

"In order to kill me, he placed a jutsu in you. Or rather, should I say, keep me away from you…He probably set his Amaterasu to activate when you looked into my Sharingan," the man said as he turned away from Sasuke. "So this was his backup plan? Well, it didn't work on me."

"So, what's this all about?" Sasuke demanded.

"Before he died, Itachi must have done something to you." Sasuke's eyes widened when his mind replayed another memory. "At the end, for your sake, he transferred his ocular powers into you."

"What are you saying!" Sasuke demanded with a glare. "Just what are you trying to tell me! Why would Itachi do something like that!"

"Don't you get it?" the man asked. "He did it in order to protect _you_." Sasuke's eyes widened once again.

"Protect?" Sasuke asked quietly. "What do you mean, 'protect'? Are you trying to be funny?"

"I'll tell you once more," the man said calmly. "You believed that you know so much about your brother, but in reality, you know nothing." Sasuke bit his tongue.

"If you keep on spitting out this bullshit, I'll kill you!" Sasuke threatened, though he didn't look at the man.

"It's not bullshit." Sasuke looked up with the sound of the new voice. It was familiar, one he had been longing to hear. The sound of slow footfalls met his ears and he saw someone emerge from the shadows next to the man. "You didn't know Itachi at all." Her eyes were red and puffy, and had large bags under them. He could tell that she had gotten little sleep.

"H-Hikari?"

"Listen to what the man has to say, and then perhaps you will understand what I have been trying to warn you about for years," Hikari said bitterly. "A true shinobi must see through deception, Sasuke. Remember those words."

"You're determined to make this hard, aren't you?" the man asked. "Well, I can't really blame you. Some guy comes out of nowhere and starts telling you things you thought you knew. However, what I am telling you _is_ the truth. On that night, Itachi told you about his accomplice, did he not? I am Madara Uchiha." Madara paused and Sasuke noticed Hikari watching him with judging eyes. "I know everything there is to know about Itachi. Although, it looks like Itachi died without fully realising that himself." Sasuke noticed that Hikari cringed at the mention of Itachi's death and her facial expression grew sorrowful. Sasuke gripped the sheets.

"Shut up!" he yelled. "I don't give a shit about that! Just get the fuck away from me!"

"Perhaps we should comply," Hikari said quietly. "He's not going to listen."

"No, you will listen to me," Madara said in a stern tone. "It's something you _must_ hear. It's your duty." Sasuke shook and closed his eyes as tightly as he could, taking his fury out on the blankets in front of him. "For the sake of the shinobi world, for the sake of Konoha, and for the sake of his little brother, he put everything on the line. You need to know the life that Itachi lived." Silence fell, and Sasuke continued to shake. He didn't want to even think about his brother, or the feeling that had been eating away at him. "Do you get it? Do you understand why Itachi implanted Amaterasu in your eye?" Sasuke began to fall forwards and his breathing became laboured and accelerated.

"Madara, he's!" Hikari said.

"It was to make sure you and I didn't meet," Madara continued. "You will understand everything once you hear what I have to say. The only ones who know the truth about Itachi Uchiha are Konoha's Danzo, the third Hokage, and the advisors, Homura and Koharu. With the third Hokage dead, the only ones who know are those three decrepit old bags; and there is no way those three will ever speak of such a disgraceful truth." Hikari bit her lip. "The truth about Itachi will simply dissipate into darkness for all eternity. It's what Itachi wished for. It is also one of the reasons that Hikari knows about the façade, but not the story. Itachi could not hide his true self in front of someone who reminded him so much of Shiori Takahashi." Madara stepped towards Sasuke. "Then again, I also know the truth about Itachi and as I told you early, he died without realising it. Still, he was always cautious. I assume he didn't trust me." Madara paused. "By chance, if I knew the truth he would try sealing my mouth shut with Amaterasu. He must have realised that I would show you my Sharingan to get you to trust me."

"What are you saying?" Sasuke asked quietly, however his voice was chilled and bitter. "To protect me…" Sasuke's eyes widened. "Protect? The truth!"

"Think back," Madara encouraged. "Try to remember everything about him. Try to remember your caring older brother." Memories and images started to flash inside of Sasuke's head as he looked at his hands. His eyes widened, his breathing accelerated and he began to sweat.

"No, he- He tried to kill me!" Sasuke sucked in more air. "He tried to take my eyes!" Sasuke stopped talking again, and began to suck in more air as he pupils started to dilate and sweat began to make his skin clammy; more memories, more images.

"Madara, he's going into shock!" Hikari yelled with worried eyes.

"Calm down," Madara said as he moved towards him. He grabbed Sasuke's face and made him look him in the eye. "Take slow and deep breaths." Suddenly, he lashed out.

"Don't touch me!" Sasuke yelled as he smacked Madara's arm away. Hikari took a hesitant step towards Sasuke, and then took more before falling to her knees in front of him.

"Just breathe," she said quietly as she began to control his blood flow. He couldn't keep his focus on her however, more memories where inside of his head, threatening to take over. Suddenly, he felt his consciousness being sucked away and he watched through different eyes as his body fell forwards and he landed in Hikari's unsuspecting arms.

Hikari was taking slow breaths and she closed her eyes.

"Are you lying to him?" she asked quietly. "Don't make him remember things like that if this is all a lie."

"It is no lie," Madara said as he took Sasuke and then began to wrap a rope around him. "You need to hear about Itachi as well. Do not think I am unaware of your relationship."

"Was he using me to make Sasuke want to kill him more?" Hikari asked quietly as she looked down at her hands.

"It was his intentions," Madara said as he finished tying the rope off. He set Sasuke against the cave wall and then sat on a box. "He had the strength to murder his last lover, but not you."

"Shiori?" Hikari asked. "So he wasn't lying when he said he killed her."

"She was too dangerous for him. She had the ability to know too much. He couldn't risk it, so he killed her when he drew her away from the hideout on a mission that was never authorised." Hikari closed her eyes and felt her heart sink.

"The Uchiha and Koizumi are truly the same," Hikari said quietly. "Aren't they?" Madara did not answer, but she could feel his piercing gaze. She was slowly beginning to understand.


	33. The Thirty Third Passage

_**The Thirty-Third Passage:**_

Hikari heard a grunt, and looked towards Sasuke. She wondered how long she had been thinking to herself, and how long Sasuke had been knocked out.

"You're awake?" Madara asked from where he sat. "I'm sorry but I had to tie you up. It seemed unlikely that you'd listen to me otherwise."

"Itachi was the enemy," Sasuke said quietly. "He slaughtered the entire clan and even killed out parents."

"I wish I could kill one of my parents…" Hikari uttered.

"Orochimaru is dead," Madara informed. "It seems that Itachi destroyed him when he tried to take over Sasuke. If I am not mistaken, he freed you from one of your fears, Hikari."

"He's a Missing-Nin; A member of the Akatsuki. He's detestable." Hikari balled her hand into a tight fist. "_That _was the man I was after…"

"It's true," Madara said as he crossed his arms. "He slaughtered the entire clan that night and left the village for good."

"Then-"

"It was all done as a mission assigned to him by Konoha," Madara said. Hikari's eyes widened.

"That was a mission?" Sasuke asked with wide eyes.

"Correct. He killed his sense of self in order to complete the mission," Madara said and with a sigh, he let his hands rest on his knees. "It seems you have calmed down a bit…"

"What are you talking about?"

"In order to talk about his life, we have to go back and talk about the founding of Konoha. It all starts there." Hikari swallowed and then stood.

"I need air. He may have to listen to this, but I don't have to. I know full well that you're telling the truth, seeing as Konoha…Well; you know what I'm talking about. The way they treated me is a prime example of their fear of the unknown…"

"Hikari, just sit and listen. It will not take long. You will understand the position of your own clan better by hearing the history of its counterpart." Hikari took a deep breath and nodded. "Itachi became a sacrifice; a sacrifice that's fate was connected to the past."

"A sacrifice?" Sasuke asked with narrowed eyes. Hikari bit her lip, not liking the way this story was going.

"Correct," Madara said with a nod. "There has been a lingering problem ever since Konoha was founded, and it influenced how Itachi lived his life." Madara looked towards the ground. Hikari wondered what emotion was on his face under the mask; usually she could guess from his tone, but she couldn't possibly imagine Madara with a remorseful expression. "The story is long, but I can assure you that it is all true."

"You expect me to believe in whatever you say?" Sasuke asked. "I cannot trust you." Hikari frowned.

"I hate to agree with him, but he has a point, Madara," Hikari put forth. "You happened to lure me by your side with information on the man who was my mother's finance, all while being that man in reality. You have a habit of twisting and making the words you say romantic."

"As for you, Hikari, all I told you was that I knew about his whereabouts and if he was alive or dead. If I had told you that I was Haruo Uchiha, you would have never believed me," Madara said as he looked directly at her. "And as for you," he said looking at Sasuke. "I have no proof. Whether you believe me or not is up to you, however, the least you can do is hear me out until the end." Silence fell and Sasuke closed his eyes in thought. Hikari sighed and cracked her neck, trying to get comfortable in the old and musty room that had been carved from a cave.

"Fine, speak," Sasuke said as he looked at Madara.

"The story begins about eighty years ago," Madara started. "Back then, the world was in endless battle; an era of warring states. Countries waged war for power and territory expansion. At the time, shinobi were nothing more than clans acting as armed militias, each one being hired to fight for different countries. Amongst them, three were considered the strongest…" Madara trailed off and looked at Hikari. "The Koizumi clan; they were most renowned for their kekki-genkai. Their soldiers never fell in battle and were often hired to protect borders and keep intruders out. The others were the Uchiha clan, and the Senju clan of the Forest. Unlike the Koizumi clan, these two clans were used in battle." Madara paused and then looked at Sasuke before continuing again. "The Uchiha had exceptional chakra, the Sharingan, and were well-versed in battle. I was born with chakra that was especially strong among them all, even for an Uchiha. The fact that I have been able to survive this long is proof of that. Back then, life was nothing but one long battle. Strength meant everything, so I killed my friend, along with my own little brother just to get stronger."

"That's cruel," Hikari said with narrowed eyes.

"You bastard," Sasuke said with a glare.

"However, thanks to that I obtained the perfect Mangekyou Sharingan and became the clan's leader," Madara said as he crossed his arms. And with that power, I ended up fighting the Senju clan countless times. Fight Hashirama of the Senju clan was inevitable; the man who would later be known as Senju Hashirama of the Wood Element. He stood at the top of the shinobi world and I admired him most. Hashirama would be the first to take the title Hokage. All clans acknowledged his superiority and feared him. If the Senju moved, the Uchiha would move. We were the only ones who could match them. However, there was another clan stuck in the middle." Hikari's eyes narrowed. "The Koizumi clan had long stood by the Uchiha's side as allies, however, they started to accept the Senju as suitors and the clan's loyalty split down the middle, as did the clan. Kameyo Koizumi was fierce and the leader of the clan. She wanted the clan to remain allies with the Uchiha; however, her brother, Daiki, fell in love with Hashirama's sister. He took half of the clan with him. The battle was even with the same clan for each side, healing the wounded and cursing each other."

"Cursing?" Hikari asked with narrowed eyes.

"That curse on your palm was a curse the Uchiha made at the time. They were afraid that more Koizumi would betray them and switch sides, so they branded their Koizumi lovers and forced them to do their bidding."

"That's just sick," Hikari hissed.

"Kameyo was not pleased," Madara said. "She continued to blind Uchiha for their insolence."

"Blind?" Sasuke asked.

"Kameyo Koizumi is the reason why Uchiha go blind," Madara said. Hikari could hear the smirk in his voice. "She is much older than I and was alive in the early days. She cursed an Uchiha she was set to marry because he tried to use his Sharingan to force his will onto her. Of course, she did not fear the Sharingan, so she cursed him by blinding him and told him that if he ever wanted his light back, he would have to commit the most horrible crime. He would have to kill his brother. However, he did not realise that this curse would continue to spread through the generations. Only a Koizumi can take away an Uchiha's blindness, and even then, it's only temporary. If someone wanted the curse removed, Kameyo would have to."

"That is interesting, however, if the Koizumi were split, how come they are not now?" Hikari asked.

"You know the reason. I heard you tell your old-sensei it yourself. Konoha grew to fear the Koizumi and push them away. However, we are not there yet. As I was saying, when the Senju were hired, their enemies would hire the Uchiha. The Senju and the Uchiha were rivals. As I began to fight Hashirama time and time again, my name became well-known."

"Just to be recognised?" Sasuke asked quietly. "That's why you stole your brother's eyes?"

"It's true…" Madara said quietly. "However, it was to obtain the strength I needed to protect the Uchiha clan."

"To protect them?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes. The bigger the name we made for ourselves, the more enemies we had. As battles continued, sacrifices had to made in order to protect the Uchiha from the Senju and other opposing clans. It wasn't for recognition…My younger brother even agreed to it, he offered me his eyes." Hikari raised her brow when she saw Madara's grip on his arms tightened. "But the Senju asked for a truce with the Uchiha…and the Uchiha agreed. Both clans were exhausted from the endless fighting. They both had finally reached their limits. But among the Uchiha I was the only one who opposed the truce, however, outside of the clan I had another supporter. Kameyo Koizumi was furious with the Senju because they had executed her brother Daiki. He was accused of treason because he healed me when I was wounded and Kameyo had exhausted all of her chakra. He was sentenced to death, despite me being Hashirama's future brother-in-law."

"Wait, what!" Hikari demanded. "You were supposed to marry Kameyo?"

"I was chosen by Kameyo to be her suitor, and I accepted. It was to completely ally the clans, and erase doubt about the Koizumi among the Uchiha." Hikari's eyes widened and she looked at Madara with horror.

"My mother is Kameyo, isn't she?" Sasuke's eyes widened. "She told me that she had been engaged to you since she was twenty. I never thought that she meant anything other than Haruo…"

"Your mother is Kameyo Koizumi. It's a long story about how she forgot about me. However, I can tell you this. Orochimaru's self-resurrection technique is based off of a Koizumi one. Kameyo Koizumi began to switch bodies when she reached the age of twenty. She began wearing different faces; however, her clan cursed her. They predicted her next body, and then cursed the girl. Kameyo would forget everything. They wanted her to redefine the Koizumi clan, and she wouldn't, so they forced her. However, it wasn't as easy as they thought. Kameyo still loved an Uchiha, and not a Senju like they had hoped. She still chose Haruo Uchiha instead." Madara sighed. "We haven't arrived to that point yet, however. I was the only Uchiha who opposed the truce. Where was all the hatred we shared for another? For what purpose had my brother sacrificed himself. Why did Daiki Koizumi die at the hands of the Senju for helping the Uchiha? After all, the Senju and the Uchiha were like oil and water. I couldn't help but think that the Senju would try to exterminate the Uchiha. However, even with that, my clansmen wanted a truce, and as their leader, I had no other choice but to go along with it. Soon after, our shinobi force made a deal with the fire country that needed help protecting its territory. The Koizumi joined our alliance and would fade into the background. This is how the system of one village, within one country, began. This is how Konohagakure started. Soon, other countries began adapting to the same system, and less fighting happened. For once, there was peace. However, something happened that threw Konoha into chaos."

"What happened?" Sasuke asked; he was a little more interested in what Madara had to say now.

"There was a dispute over who was to become the first Hokage. The Koizumi did not want the title, for they didn't want the responsibility of it and their own clan was at war within. As you already know, the one who obtained the seat was Senju Hashirama. He was chosen by the village along with the rest of the fire country. It was obvious that the Uchiha were slowly losing their supremacy, and the Koizumi had been smothered as soon as they joined the village," Madara sighed and rested his hands on his knees again. "In order to protect the Uchiha, I took the path of leadership. I decided to confront Hashirama. However, none of the Uchiha wanted to follow in my footsteps. My clansmen turned their back on me, thinking I was trying to light the coals of war once again. I was betrayed." Madara looked at Sasuke and crossed his arms again. "They claimed I was acting out of my own selfishness for my own gain. They detested me, saying I was plagued by greed and robbed my brother of his eyes to save my own life. There was no one who would ever do such a thing to their own little brother," Madara said bitterly. "All I wanted to do was protect the Uchiha! I left the village as a man simply betrayed by all. And then, insistent on revenge, I challenged and fought against the entire village. However, I was defeated at the place known as 'The Valley of the End'. They thought I died there. Even Hashirama himself thought so," Madara said. "The only person who didn't was Kameyo, but they refused to let her leave the village. I was written off by everyone, even history itself. Hashirama's younger brother, the second Hokage, wanted to make sure no other traitors like me appeared again. In a show of confidence, he assigned the Uchiha a special position. He established the Konoha Police Force. However, the truth is that he created it in order to distance the Uchiha from the government of the village, and it assured him that he could keep an eye on the clan. There were those among the Uchiha who realised what was happening. It was clearer when the second Hokage pushed the Koizumi to the outskirts of the village and made them guard outpost towns. They were no longer inside the establishment because their loyalties remained with the Uchiha. Kameyo was kept on tight guard by the Senju. There were rebel Uchiha who choose to succeed my will. It was far too late, however…Time passed and the Senju continued to dominate. Kameyo Koizumi slipped from the radar by changing bodies, but a few rebels inside the clan who were won over by the Senju cursed her. She forgot everything, but her clan continued to marry into the Uchiha and create strong bonds. Others left though, and split up throughout the world. Each village has a Koizumi clan at this point in time. The once proud Uchiha clan became the Senju's dogs. Then my prediction finally came true. Something occurred that would destroy the Uchiha. Yes, it was the Kyuubi's attack sixteen years ago."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.

"Only the ocular powers of the Uchiha can tame and control the Kyuubi. Konoha's superiors suspected than an Uchiha was behind the incident. It was only a natural disaster that the Uchiha had no connection to. Yet, they were still suspicious. They thought the Uchiha were planning a rebellion in order to obtain a seat of power. Afterwards they were monitored at all times and forced to live in a small corner of the village. I hid there with Kameyo who was now under the name of Shizuka. She had no recollection of past events, yet was still weary of the Senju. However, she disappeared after she was raped by Orochimaru, and the Koizumi clan became frantic. Almost all inside the village were chased to the outskirts and a man named Daisuke began to form a rebellion group outside of the village. He was ready to help the Uchiha in their struggle. The Uchiha were effectively quarantined. The third Hokage was the only one who protested such extreme measures. However, the other three did not show approval of his protests. After all, the Uchiha weren't known to be all that trust worthy. The discrimination began. Their lack of trust turned into ill feelings and their suspicions turned into reality," Madara paused. Hikari knew that the story was going to be something like this, but she never thought it would be this terrible. "The Uchiha clan planned a coup d'état to take control of the village." Sasuke's eyes widened. "So Konoha's superiors planted a spy within the clan, and that spy was your older brother, Uchiha Itachi. That is when Itachi's hell began." Hikari took in a deep breath and watched as Sasuke began to shake again. She sighed and shook her head as she crawled towards him and touched his shoulder hesitantly, trying to bring him back to reality.

"The Uchiha formed a Coup D'état? Itachi was…a spy?" Sasuke asked as he began to shake worse than before.

"I think you're telling him too much at once," Hikari uttered quietly. Sasuke grabbed her wrist and looked her directly in the eyes. Her heart stopped, and she couldn't move.

"Did you know about this?

For the first time, she was genuinely afraid of him.

So I realised that I am about eighty pages behind in my story, so basically, here comes a really huge update. I'll say it's because I love you all so much. :P. I do warn you, the next chapters continue to be increasingly depressing.


	34. The Thirty Fourth Passage

_**The Thirty-Fourth Chapter:**_

"Sasuke, let go of Hikari. She knew nothing of this," Madara said as he directed stern eyes onto him. "Itachi made sure she didn't know." Sasuke let go of Hikari, but regretted it when she crawled away from him, her eyes fearful. He hadn't meant to scare her, but he knew better than to grab her like that.

"Despite being an Uchiha, you were kept in the dark," Madara said, drawing Sasuke's attention back. "Because you were still young; however, it's all true. Your father, Fugaku, was the mastermind behind the plot. Your brother, Itachi, was ordered by your father to spy on the ANBU Black Ops. However, it was actually the opposite. Itachi was working for the village, feeding them intelligence about the Uchiha. He was what they call a double agent. You cannot begin to imagine the kind of burden that is to bear."

"Why?" Sasuke asked in a loud voice. "Why did Itachi betray the Uchiha!"

"It may be hard for you to understand," Madara said with a sigh, "not having witnessed the horrors of war." Hikari's eyes widened.

_I don't ever want you to look upon war…_

Her breathing accelerated as she remembered his words, and his confession about not having the will to kill Sasuke. Most of all, she remembered that when she asked him why he killed his clan, he told her he never wanted her to see war. The echo of his voice made tears prick her eyes. She bit her lip and then looked back up at Madara.

"The third great ninja war," Madara started. "When Itachi was merely four-years-old, he witnessed the deaths of many people. He was too young to experience war. War is hell. That trauma made Itachi a pacifist who hated war. He was a man who put the village's safety first, and who strove to preserve peace. Instead of being bound by obligation to his clan, he was a shinobi who loved his village. And the village higher-ups preyed on that trait. They assigned him a top-secret mission. An eye for an eye; for them to oppose the Uchiha, they would need the Sharingan. Yes, the mission was the total annihilation of the Uchiha clan." Sasuke closed his eyes and began to shake. Hikari frowned, and concluded that it made sense to the Itachi she knew. Every time they ran into trouble, he rarely fought, and only did if he had to. He often made Kisame be less violent as well. And then she realised how difficult his life had been, and why he killed Shiori. Hikari realised why his face didn't look peaceful when he slept, and why she could see the nightmares written on his face; he was always full of guilt for his actions.

"I cannot begin to imagine what Itachi went through emotionally. Itachi was forced to make a terrible choice; the impossible choice of killing one's brethren. However a civil war would break out that would make the Uchiha shake the very foundations of the Hidden Leaf Village and the Land of Fire. Other nations would waste no time in seizing the opportunity to attack. It could even trigger a Fourth Great Ninja War. The Uchiha clan's self-interest would in involve innocent people who had nothing to do with the ninja world. Countless people would die once again. If you were Itachi, what would you have done?" Sasuke frowned, and to Hikari, it looked like he was trying to hold back tears. "Itachi made up his mind; he would bring the curtain down on his clan. He did not hate the Uchiha, nor did he betray them. It was inevitable. The discrimination by the village… Their target of antagonism…He shouldered the blame all by himself. No one can ever question Itachi's decision, and the sacrifice he made. To be truthful, back then, even I anticipated war. I was bitter towards Senju's Hidden Leaf and the Uchiha, but Itachi was even aware of that. He alone was aware of my existence. Itachi sought to contact me, and made certain conditions. In exchange for guiding me in my vendetta against the Uchiha, I was not to lay a hand on the village. He would help me kill our brethren. However, the third Hokage tried a different hand. He tried to approach the Uchiha for a compromise. But time ran out, and his efforts failed; leading to that night. It was a mission. To be the sole perpetrator of his clan's slaughter and become a rouge shinobi with his reputation in broken pieces. All of that was his mission, and Itachi completely fulfilled his duty, with one exception…" Madara trailed off and Hikari directed her eyes towards Sasuke; he had his head hung and his eyes were sorrowful. "He couldn't bring himself to kill his younger brother." Sasuke's eyes widened and he jerked his head upwards. Silence fell around them and Hikari was trying her best to still be angry at Sasuke, but she couldn't now that she was looking at his saddened face. "After that, Itachi appealed to the third Hokage to protect you from Danzo and the higher-ups. After, he threatened Danzo and then left the village. If he laid a hand on Sasuke, he would leak every detail about the village to unallied nations. Above all else, he was concerned about you. Yet, he could not tell you the full truth. He had no choice but to say the things he did. By making revenge your goal, he hoped to make you strong. The Uchiha is a proud clan of the Hidden Leaf; he wanted you to keep believing that. He beseeched the Hokage that you never learned the truth. From that moment, he left the village and was resolved to fighting you and dying, so that he could instil you with a new power. That is Itachi's truth."

"No…You're lying…" Sasuke said quietly. "They must be lies."

"He isn't," Hikari said just as quietly.

"If anyone knew Itachi well, it is Hikari. She spent two years analysing him because the fact that he was a reputed cold-blooded murderer with no killer instinct bothered her," Madara said. "I ordered Hikari to be Itachi's subordinate because I knew you would not believe me when the time came, but you would believe her."

"That's nonsense!" Sasuke yelled as he looked at Madara. "He tried to kill me several times!"

"If Itachi had wished it, he would have. Without a doubt," Madara said coolly.

"He even used Mangekyou Sharingan to try and kill me!" Sasuke argued.

"Your battle was a part of his plan," Madara said. "Itachi needed to pressure you into that fight. He even made Hikari stay behind so she could not go and attempt to save him. You have probably realised the reason, haven't you? He freed you from the curse mark," Madara said, and then he looked at Hikari. "What about you, is yours gone as well?" Hikari sighed and unbuttoned her coat, and then took off her white shirt so only her mesh remained, she turned to Madara could see.

"Is it gone?" she asked curiously.

"Yes," Madara said. "It like he did something to help you as well, what it was, I do not know." Hikari frowned and put her shirt back on, and then her coat. "The death of someone closest to you," Madara started as he looked at Sasuke. "The battle was to awaken your Mangekyou. It was a battle that Itachi planned entirely for your sake. He pretended to be after your eyes until the very end. It's starting to sink in, I see…"

"You are lying," Sasuke said with a frown as he looked at Madara. "The one who made the Kyuubi attack the village was you, Madara! Itachi said so!" Sasuke began to yell. "You framed the Uchiha! You teamed up with Itachi to toy with the clan!"

"Itachi was lying when he told you that," Madara said simply. "Itachi feared that you would somehow learn the truth. He wanted to make absolutely certain that there was no chance of that."

"His Amaterasu came out of your eye, Sasuke," Hikari said quietly. "Why would someone who wanted to kill you, do that?"

"He lied to make sure you would not trust me," Madara said with his piercing gaze on Sasuke. "Not only that, like Hikari mentioned, he planted Amaterasu in your eyes."

"As if I'd believe you!" Sasuke yelled again. "He…Itachi was evil! He's a criminal who killed his clan and joined the Akatsuki!"

"Itachi took sole responsibility for an unspeakable crime and then left the village," Madara said. "He found a way to join the Akatsuki and watched over an organization that was dangerous to the village from the inside. He was always thinking about the Hidden leaf Village, and he thought of you…and recently, Hikari, who he thought I was using for entertainment. However, he did not realise that I have a deep connection with her mother and I just want to keep her safe."

"Yes, because branding me with a curse that can kill me and then making Itachi-sama take the blame for it is really a caring and safety insuring thing to do?" Hikari yelled with narrowed eyes. "Do not pretend that you captured me to keep me safe to earn points with my mother."

"It was not my idea to put the curse on you," Madara said. "Itachi wanted me to so he could get Sasuke to hate him more." Hikari's eyes widened, but she was not going to call out his bluff. She couldn't let herself believe that Itachi would spend all that time with her, help her find loopholes and defy Madara's will, if he suggested the curse in the first place. She fell silent again.

"When the third Hokage who had promised to protect you, died, Itachi made an appearance in the Hidden Leaf Village," Madara said. "It was to tell Danzo and other superiors that 'I am alive.' You were foremost in his thoughts-"

"Stop! Lies, they're all lies!" Sasuke yelled.

"You're still alive, aren't you?" Madara asked. "Your eyes did not perceive a single thing about Itachi. Even back then, you refused to pay attention to the fact that he saved the person you love most-"

"Madara, don't," Hikari demanded. "Don't tell him that." Sasuke looked at her sharply.

"If it were not for Itachi, Hikari would have died the day he infiltrated the village by Kisame's hand," Madara said. "Orochimaru's men put a sealing jutsu on her chakra, and kept it to the point where she had none. Kisame inflicted an injury that Hikari would have died from, save the fact that Itachi noticed who she was and unsealed her chakra so she could heal herself. He saved her life." Hikari sighed and looked away from Sasuke.

"When I asked you what happened to your chakra, you lied to me," Sasuke said in a dangerously quiet voice.

"Well what was I supposed to say to you, huh!" she argued back. "I was not even clear on what happened myself! Was I just supposed to say, 'hey Sasuke, by the way, on top of your being extremely uncomfortable with my meeting with Itachi, he saved my life too, for no apparent reason.'?"

"He did it because he knew that you were one of the only people Sasuke still had faith in, and he couldn't let you die for that reason," Madara stated. "It's the reason why he wanted you as his subordinate. He did not want anyone else to take advantage of you."

"Bullshit!" Hikari yelled. "Itachi slept with me! What are you talking about!"

"Only because he saw it as a way to get under Sasuke's skin, and by that time, he hadn't realised he had miscalculated yet. He loved you, Hikari." Hikari snarled and then looked away from Madara. "As I was saying," Madara said as he stood and turned to Sasuke. "You were not able to see through the illusion Itachi created, at all. Itachi killed his friends, his superiors, he killed his lover, his father and mother; but he could not kill his little brother." Madara knelt in front of Sasuke and drew a Kunai. "He cried tears of blood and killed every shred of feeling he had inside of him, and then he killed his brethren for the sake of his village. Later, he killed his lover for the sake of the truth not escaping." Madara cut the ropes from Sasuke. "But he could not kill you. Do you understand what that means?" Silence fell around them, and Sasuke remained utterly still. "To him, your life was more precious than the village. Until the moment of his death…No, even in his death; it was all for you. To pass on a new power; by making you defeat him, he had the Uchiha clan avenged. It was in order to raise you and make you the hero of the Hidden Leaf. His body was ravaged by illness, and even with Hikari's help, he knew he was near death. He had already cheated it for a year longer than he should have. Even if he had to rely on drugs, and the blood of an innocent girl to prolong his life; for the sake of his beloved little brother…he had to fight you, and die in your presence." Madara paused and the light from the candle went out. "For the love of the Hidden Leaf Village, and most of all, for the love of his little brother, Itachi wanted to die as a criminal and a traitor. He accepted disgrace in the place of honour, and hate in the place of love. Despite this, Itachi died with a smile on his face. He entrusted the Uchiha name to you, his younger brother, deceiving you until the very end.

…

Hikari knew she was not ready to forgive Sasuke for anything, but she could not forget Itachi's last words to her. He asked her not to hate Sasuke, and to her, it looked like Sasuke was in turmoil. For the sake of the person she loved, and his will, she swallowed her pride and approached Sasuke who was standing on a cliff, and letting the sea splash onto his legs. She laced her hand in his and looked out to the horizon, comfortable with the silence that they shared. He stood there for a long while, and she knew he was remembering Itachi the way Itachi didn't want to be remembered, she couldn't help but remember all the clues that she hadn't picked up on herself, but somehow, even though what Madara told her, she felt happier knowing Itachi loved her too. When she felt something wet splash onto her hands, she looked up and saw that Sasuke had his eyes closed and tears were streaming down his face. She sighed and took a step forwards, pulling him into a hug.

"I'll always be here for you, Sasuke, so long as there is a place for me to stand by your side…"

Behind her and Sasuke, she was aware that the team he assembled was gathered, and so was Madara.

"We are no longer 'Hebi'," Sasuke said. "From this day on, our team will be 'Taka'. Taka has only one goal...We will destroy Konoha." Hikari took in a sharp inhale of air. She wondered briefly if decided to stay with Sasuke was a good idea, but she cast her thoughts away. Perhaps, destroying Konoha was best, because they hurt her family as well.

However, she couldn't help but feel he had not taken Itachi's message to heart. She knew better than revenge, she could easily see the pain it had caused the Uchiha. She looked at Sasuke again and realised that he had just simply set up another revenge plot to fill the gap that Itachi had left. She could only hope that he'd somehow move on without spilling innocent blood.


	35. The Thirty Fifth Passage

_**The Thirty-Fifth Passage:**_

"Konbanwa, Sasuke-san," Hikari said as she approached the boy who was sitting on some kind of structure that looked like a skeleton. She thought some of the Akatsuki hideouts were weird, but this one just creeped her out. "I think it's time we had a little talk." He looked to his side when she appeared next to him. "I think we both know why I left Otogakure. Or at least, one of the reasons I left anyways."

"You left because of your father and me," Sasuke said as he looked away from her. "I know, Hikari."

"That's part of it, there is more though," Hikari said with a sigh. "I liked it in Konoha, and I wanted nothing more than to return, but they would never accept me back, so I burned my ties with everyone there to protect them. I left Otogakure because I longed for freedom, I've hated it there for as long as I can remember, and that is not about to change." Hikari closed her eyes and swallowed her pride again. She knew she had to face this, but it didn't mean she wanted to. However, she was trying to respect Itachi's memory, but at the same time she felt like she was being forced into more things she didn't want anything to do with. Hikari was tired of being obedient; she was tired of not having control. However, she was willing to sacrifice her feelings to try and do what Itachi would have wanted. "Before Itachi died he told me not to hate you, but I find it hard when I'm watching you fall for the same things I did. I can't watch you do this to yourself again." Hikari shook her head and looked at the profile of Sasuke's face. "I've been avoiding this conversation because I was afraid you'd make me love you again when I wanted to hate you. For the past two years, I have been in love with someone else, but I've never stopped caring about you, Sasuke. I'm not ready to forgive you yet, mainly because I feel like I'm trapped in some illusion. I still feel like I'm dreaming and when I wake up, he'll be there." Tears welled in Hikari's eyes and she brushed them away with her sleeve. "I'm not going to lie, I'm still angry at you for everything you've done, but by now, I think I've done enough to merit the same kind of anger." Hikari touched his shoulder and he looked towards her, his onyx eyes piercing her own. "We do that to each other don't we?" she whispered. "See who we can hurt more?"

"I left you in the village because I wanted to protect you," Sasuke said quietly as he looked away from her. "I thought that you had a hard enough life as it was, I didn't want to drag you along with me…"

"I know you left me because you thought it was best, but that's exactly what you did wrong," Hikari stated in a sour tone. "You didn't even ask me what I thought."

"You would have tried to stop me," Sasuke said coolly.

"Damn right I would have," Hikari stated bluntly. "But it wouldn't have been because I didn't want you to obtain your goal; it was because I knew what my father was like. Not to mention your disappearance put suspicions on me…"

"Were you in love with him?" Sasuke asked, suddenly changing the subject of their conversation.

"I still am, Sasuke," Hikari said after forcing the answer out of her mouth. "It was hard not to be. I was terrified of him at first, but the more time I spent around Itachi-sama the more curious I became." Hikari sighed and forced another thing out of her mouth, despite thinking it was a bad idea. "Sasuke, you obtained your revenge…this plot you've gotten into your head, I'm not so sure it's the best idea…"

"I obtained revenge on the wrong person," Sasuke said sourly.

"Itachi would have wanted you in the village," Hikari said quickly.

"How do you know, huh?" Sasuke asked as he glared at her. "You barely knew Itachi as well, how do you know what he wanted and didn't? You were nothing but a toy." Hikari tried to force back the tears that the sting of his words had created. Instead of yelling, like she thought she would, her words came out surprisingly calm.

"Itachi told me he never wanted me to see war…If I was just his toy, surely he would want the same thing for you, someone he loved," she whispered as her eyes started to become glossy with tears. Sasuke felt a pang of guilt when he realised he had made her cry; he was always sent into inner turmoil when he caused her tears. He wasn't supposed to be the one making her hurt, he was supposed to be the one making her feel better; yet every time he tried, the image of Hikari in his brother's bed came into his mind. That betrayal ran deep, and he wasn't sure he would actually come to terms with it. A part of him wanted to make her hurt; while the other wanted to sooth the wounds he created and continued to create.

"I guess we do try to hurt each other," Sasuke uttered. "However, I can't turn back. I need to do this; I can't let my family name crumble to ruins. I can't know the truth and do nothing." Sasuke looked towards her and touched her face. "If you were in my position, wouldn't you feel the same?"

"Perhaps, because I would be blinded, like you," Hikari said as she turned away from his touch. Sasuke glared at her once again. "However, I could never destroy an entire village and take thousands of innocent lives, no matter what someone else did to me."

"Then leave," he said to her.

"You misunderstand," Hikari said quietly. "I understand why you feel this way, I just don't think I could kill so many innocents, but people like Danzo…I understand. That's why I haven't left, but I think you should reconsider about destroying the village. You're forgetting that these people didn't know. If all ignorant people should die, than I would be long dead; I didn't know the truth either, and I lived in Konoha. I'm not an Uchiha, are you going to kill me, Sasuke?" Sasuke sighed.

"You're a Koizumi, and you never looked down on me. You've done nothing but live up to your name," Sasuke said as he touched her face again. "All I picture is them laughing at me, Hikari. Laughing at the Uchiha…"

"What about Naruto?" Hikari asked in a whisper. "If anyone understands, Sasuke, it's him…He wanted to destroy the village because they hated him, but look at him now, he's on his way to become great…"

"It's too late for that," Sasuke said bitterly. "I can't be like him." Hikari looked at him and tears began to slide down her cheeks.

"This was the other reason I left, Sasuke," she whispered. She shook her head and dropped her eyes to her hands. "I can't watch you destroy yourself." His eyes widened slightly as he looked at her. "You've changed, Sasuke. It hurts to see you like this…Do you understand why I hid from you, and why I sought out a different life? I couldn't watch the person I love most destroy themselves and slip out of my grasp forever." She looked up into his eyes when she felt his hand on the side of her face.

"Despite everything, I still care for you, that won't change, Hikari; I swear it." She choked on a sob and began to cry into her hands.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Sasuke," she said unevenly. "I didn't do it to hurt you."

"I know," Sasuke said quietly as he moved closer to her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, but was surprised when she rushed forwards and hugged him.

"Itachi told me not to hate you, and I can't," she said quietly. "But I can't forget about him either. I need time…" Sasuke sighed, and with a nod he said,

"I know, Hikari…"


	36. The Thirty Sixth Passage

_**The Thirty-Sixth Passage:**_

"What are you doing?"

Sasuke looked up from where he sat, very aware that Hikari's presence had long faded from the place she had sat. It was late into the night, and he was surprised that another person had found him. Madara walked into his line of sight and his semi-good mood vanished. "The preparations are already complete."

"When I gaze upon the full moon, I recall memories of that night," Sasuke said with a smirk playing on his lips. "As well as the memories I tried hard to forget." Sasuke sighed and looked into the sky; his face indifferent and calm. "I can suddenly remember things about Itachi. Now all of those faint and fleeting memories from my once locked heart are surfacing." Sasuke paused as his mind replied the memories that had once haunted his waking thoughts, and then lingered throughout his days. "He was crying. I thought I had imagined it…I couldn't figure out why." Sasuke paused again, and then spoke louder. "It looks like you told the truth."

"What will you do?" Madara asked. "Will you take Itachi's eyes?"

"No," Sasuke said. He didn't want them because they were his brothers, but he also imagined Hikari's tear stained face, and how she wouldn't be able to look into his eyes without thinking of Itachi; he didn't want that. He wanted Hikari to think of him and only him. He wanted his revenge on Konoha, but he also wanted her by his side; he was desperate for it. He couldn't stand the thought of another man snatching her up while he was being careless. However, he also _couldn't_ take Itachi's eyes, knowing he loved the village, and then destroy it. It seemed almost cruel to him. "What Itachi wanted to see, and what my eyes are _going_ to see will be different. I cannot do what Itachi wanted me to do. I'll revive the Uchiha in my own way." Sasuke felt a smirk play on Madara's lips. The older Uchiha turned and began to walk away, but before he could get far, Sasuke spoke again. "Wait, I still have something I want." Madara turned and looked at Sasuke; he almost imagined that Madara's eyebrow may have been raised at the sudden demanding tone.

"And what is that?" Madara asked in a calm tone.

"I want Hikari Koizumi."

"What makes you think I'd give her to you?" Madara asked; Sasuke was now positive the man was smirking. "You already have a shinobi that can heal you; there is no use for Hikari."

"Hikari and I have a past," Sasuke explained indifferently. "I trust her and would rather have her with me."

"Very well," Madara said. "For the moment, I don't need Hikari. Her mother is doing the side work with the Koizumi, so Hikari is free. However, I have one condition." Sasuke raised a fine brow.

"I want you to pretend that when Itachi installed his powers in you, that he also gave you ownership of Hikari through the curse," Madara said. "I want you to pretend you're in control."

"Why?" Sasuke asked right away.

"Her mother would be upset if she knew I placed the Jutsu on Hikari," Madara said nostalgically. "Kameyo Koizumi is a woman who is easiest to deal with when she is not upset and angry." Sasuke frowned.

"Whatever," he said with a shrug as he looked away.

"You will only have to order her around to prove it to others."

…

Hikari stood with her back against a pillar and examined her nails.

"Ah, so you survived?" Kisame asked with a pointed smile.

"What did you expect, Shark-y?" Hikari asked as she looked him in the eyes. "I guess you and I are partners now, huh?"

"No," Madara said as he looked at her. "I had originally planned it that way, but I've changed my mind. You will become a part of Sasuke's group."

"It looks like you don't get to escape the wrath of the Uchiha," Kisame said in a teasing manner.

"Pfft," Hikari said as she brushed her hair behind her ear. "I can deal with him."

"Are you sure? I seem to remember you shaking in fear when you met Itachi-san," Kisame said with a smirk.

"Well, Sasuke-baka is a bit different. I've told you before; I have experience with the brat."

"Wow, Sasuke, she's brave," Suigetsu said with a smirk.

"Or just flat out disrespectful," Karin said as she upturned her nose.

"That is something that comes with the package," Sasuke said as he eyed Hikari. "She has always been extremely disrespectful." Hikari rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Yeah, you're one to talk…"

"The goal?" Madara asked.

"Taka will destroy Konoha," Sasuke said confidentially. Madara sat on the table Sasuke sat at and looked at the younger Uchiha.

"You can say it all you want, but how do you plan on accomplishing it?"

"My targets are the advisors and Danzo," Sasuke responded. "I don't care about anyone else."

"If your target is a king, his soldiers will be there to defend him," Kisame said. "It won't be easy. Plus your little 'Taka' group doesn't seem strong enough. It's better now that you have Hikari, because she can easily gather intelligence that may help you in the long run, but still."

"Kisame-senpai," Suigetsu said with a small growl. "I wouldn't underestimate us if I were you. Our little game from before still isn't finished."

"Go against Kisame-san, and you'll die," Hikari said as she crossed her arms.

"You flatter me, Hikari," Kisame said with a smirk. "It seems your loyalty remains with your old group."

"Stop it, Suigetsu!" Jugo yelled. Hikari looked up and watched as Suigetsu drew the Executioner's blade and jumped across the table to attack Kisame.

"Oh my…" However, before he could land a hit, Madara stopped the blade with nothing but the back of his wrist. Hikari's eyes widened slightly.

"_An attack at that speed should have lopped off his arm; however, he doesn't even have a scratch on him. He didn't use his time-space manipulation either…._" Hikari thought as she eyed her master with a frown.

"Sasuke! Teach your men some discipline!" Madara said fiercely. Hikari's eyes narrowed.

"Next time you wave that sword around my head, fish-boy, you'll wish you were never born," Hikari hissed. Sasuke glared at Suigetsu and Karin pushed up her glasses.

"Suigetsu, you fucking idiot, this isn't the place for that," Karin yelled.

"My only goal is getting that sword!" Suigetsu yelled back. "The only reason I joined up with Sasuke was to get it!"

"Sasuke, what are you going to do?" Jugo asked.

"Fine, do as you please, Suigetsu," Sasuke said as if he didn't really care.

"Okay, Madara-sama, are you sure it is a good idea to let Sasuke _lead_ this group?" Hikari asked as she rolled her eyes. "He doesn't seem to be able to control them…" Sasuke ignored her, but knew that Madara had at least listened to what she said.

"You probably can't beat him yet anyways," Sasuke finished.

"Now you're underestimating Kisame-san!" Hikari said as she narrowed her eyes. "Ugh, this is so annoying!"

"Oh, do be so uptight, Hebiko," Suigetsu said with a smirk.

"I have a name, it's Hikari," Hikari responded with narrowed eyes. Suigetsu turned to Sasuke.

"Don't say that, Sasuke," Suigetsu said with a smirk as he turned to Kisame. "Just you wait, one of these days I will turn you into some shark-fin soup!"

"Way to use one of the oldest jokes," Hikari muttered. Madara pushed the blade away and sighed.

"The Akatsuki is lacking man-power, so let's avoid unnecessary skirmishes."

"Then you shouldn't be looking down on others," Suigetsu said.

"That's not the point," Hikari snarled. "You come in here, and start biting off more than you can chew. All of you are pampered and your ego's are out of control. I know my place here, I know that I cannot defeat my higher ups and therefore address them with respect. You should do the same or you will be chewed up and spit out." The room fell silent, and Hikari huffed and crossed her arms.

"All of our goals coincide," Madara said breaking the tension. "That's why Taka will cooperate with the Akatsuki from now on."

"What do we get out of this?" Sasuke asked as he looked up. Madara smirked.

"Well, Hikari, like you asked-"

"What a minute, you used me as a bargaining chip?" Hikari asked with a glare. "Stop selling me to these Uchiha idiots!"

"I didn't sell you off, Sasuke requested you in his team, so I agreed. Also, the Bijuu will be shared," Madara finished, looking at Sasuke again.

"Bijuu?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"My god," Hikari said as she brought her palm to her face. "You are not only metaphorically in the dark, are you?"

"You don't know anything about them?" Madara asked. Karin began to talk about how she knew. Hikari sighed and leaned back against the pillar again. She closed her eyes and in her mind, she began to imagine Itachi; this was always what happened when she suddenly had time to think.

_Do I mean anything to you, Itachi-sama?_

She squeezed the lids of her eyes shut.

_Things are never that simple…_

Hikari opened her eyes and dropped them to the floor, becoming increasingly aware of how tired and worn-down she felt. She sighed.

"_If I asked you now, would your answer be any different?"_

She could picture his lips forming the words, but she couldn't imagine his voice saying them. It hit her then, the fact that the memory of his voice was slipping away from her, and she had trouble recalling the way it sounded.

_I loved you._

His voice pushed through her mind, and she wondered if she had a hallucination, because she had never heard him voice those words, but his voice was unmistakable. Hikari was suddenly brought back to the present when Kisame elbowed her in the ribs.

"You're crying, kid," he said quietly. Her eyes widened as she hastily wiped the few tears away from her cheek.

"Thanks, Kisame," she whispered. "By now, you know I miss him." She felt a little relieved when she realised that all the people in the room were wrapped up in a conversation about the Bijuu.

"You could call them ultimate chakra-weapons. Not a bad deal, is it?" Madara asked.

"How generous of you," Sasuke drawled.

"However, if you betray the Akatsuki, I'll have you killed," Madara said in a stern tone. Hikari heart stopped and she slowly lifted her eyes to Sasuke's. She understood that Madara only gave her to Sasuke in order for him to screw up; in the long run, it was to break her. She sucked in air and then narrowed her eyes.

"_That isn't going to happen_," she thought with a frown. Sasuke smirked.

"Che."

"There are a total of nine Bijuu in the world," Kisame said with a grin. "The Akatsuki already has six of them, but there are three left."

"Akatsuki and Taka will split up in the remaining search. That is our primary goal," Madara said.

"You still haven't obtained the Kyuubi, correct?"

"Sasuke…" Hikari warned quietly.

"Taka will capture the Hachibi, Akatsuki will handle the rest."

"Wait, does this mean I'm being kicked out of the Akatsuki?" Hikari asked with a raised brow.

"We are one group, just there are divisions, like always," Madara said. "I am sending Hikari because she had experience hunting Jinchuuriken. First she managed to find Naruto Uzumaki under Konoha's nose, and then she helped retrieve the Ichibi with Deidara and Sasori." Hikari sighed, knowing that it wouldn't be the same anymore; Itachi was gone. She looked up towards Madara and frowned, knowing that he was going to use Sasuke until Sasuke couldn't be used anymore. Eventually, this would be the same case for herself. When she was young, she imagined dying honourably as a shinobi, not as a chained down slave. She wondered just how close the end was for her. Itachi's voice pushed its way into her mind again and she let her mind slip away.

"_Will I see you soon, Itachi?_"


	37. The Thirty Seventh Passage

_**The Thirty-Seventh Passage:**_

"I dislike your new team," Hikari said to Sasuke as they walked. "More than team seven, for sure. Well, except Jugo. I like Jugo."

"Just think about it this way," Sasuke said with a smirk playing at his lips. "No one here can tie you to anyone else for fighting with them."

"That was your fault; you're such a piece of work. It was _**your**_ fault that Kakashi tied us up."

"Wait, you were tied to Sasuke?" Suigetsu asked.

"Yeah," Hikari said as she rolled her eyes. "We were tied by the wrist because I tried to kill him."

"Why did you want her to come again?" Karin asked.

"Because we work well together," Sasuke said indifferently.

"I don't know, you seem pretty useless," Suigetsu said as he looked her up and down. Hikari hissed and turned around, drawing a kunai.

"Hikari, put it away," Sasuke commanded. Her palm was ablaze before she realized it. She scowled and put it away, wanting to strangle the Uchiha in front of her.

"_Like what we did with Itachi, we're going to pretend Sasuke is your master. Just to keep your mother at bay. The rules are the same; you are to tell everyone that Sasuke is the one who controls you because Itachi transferred the Jutsu to him before he died. You must do what he says when others are around."_

If she could, she would rob Madara of his remaining years.

"That was odd," Suigetsu commented. "She listened as if she thought you were more powerful than her."

"Itachi cursed Hikari with a jutsu that forced her to be obedient. Before he died, he transferred the ownership to me. Hikari didn't do that wilfully," Sasuke answered in a tone that signalled he really couldn't care less. Hikari snarled.

"You had better watch what you say around me, Uchiha. I've always said that my water can put out your fire."

"But your water cannot withstand my lightning," Sasuke said with a smirk. However, it faded when he saw the purely _dark_ look on Hikari's features.

"It seems we're an equal match, Sasuke," Hikari said quietly. "I've been working on my second element, during my training; Itachi found I was skilled enough to take on a second."

"_Hikari, I want you to try and work with wind. I think that element will come easiest to you…" _

"_Eh? Why, Itachi-sama?" Hikari asked as she mindlessly nibbled on an apple under the shade of a large oak tree. _

"_Because wind beats lightning," he uttered, staring down at her from where he was standing. _

"_Yeah, but fire beats wind. I think you're trying to make it so I am easier to beat," Hikari said with a small smile. "Kidding, Itachi-sama. We both know I'm easy to beat."_

"_Even if fire beats your wind, if you have to go against a fire-user, simply switch back to water," Itachi said as if the equation was simple. Hikari slowly stopped eating and then looked up at him. _

"_You're trying to match my elements to make it so I am on par with Sasuke…Why?" Itachi didn't respond. _

"_Here," he said as he dropped a weapon in front of her. She looked down at it and saw that it wasn't a weapon, but a hilt. She looked up at him confused. _

"_Eventually, you will be able to make a sword of wind, but first," he said as he dropped another weapon in front of her, except it had the distinct shine of metal. "Start with those." _

"I am on par with you, Sasuke," Hikari said in a threatening tone. "And it's not like I've been sitting around for two years. I've trained too. I don't know if I can beat you, but I can definitely hold my ground."

"Che." The sound slipped out of Sasuke's mouth as he turned around and began to walk again. Hikari bit her lip to restrain herself from the urge to attack him, but she was hit by a rush of unexpected emotions that did an even better job of holding back her temper; for a moment, a sliver of time, she felt like she was still in Konoha and Sasuke was the boy she fallen in love with again. The same coy smirk she had always loved was playing on his lips and she half-expected him to ask her to spar.

…

"So, you're supposed to be the one who 'knows' what they're doing," Suigetsu said as he folded his arms behind his head. "What do you think we should do?"

"Stop at that inn," Hikari said as she pointed it out with a tilt of her head. "We need to do some planning; I want to work with a map and a strategy."

"I don't think we need to do that quite yet," Karin said as she looked at Hikari crossly. However, before Hikari could retort, Sasuke changed direction and approached the inn.

"Resting up before battle is wise," Sasuke said to the group. "Also, listening to Hikari's input is a good idea. She has infiltrated a couple villages undetected to my knowledge. I'd like to hear her approach."

"It's good Karin is here," Hikari said as she looked at the red head. "I may think she has a worse attitude than Sakura, but she is at least useful to some extent." Hikari turned to Karin with a kind smile that would have convinced anyone that she was a sweet an innocent girl, but her words gave away her hostility. "I don't care if you have feelings for Sasuke. Imagine I'm not here, and not in your way at all. He's all yours; however, I'm kind of waiting for you and Suigetsu to hit it off." Hikari winked at the red head before turning around and beginning to walk in her place again; she was satisfied that she had pissed off Karin.

"Wow, Sasuke-san," Suigetsu said as he watched Hikari from behind. "If I thought she could be any worse than that other girl, I might not have agreed to this…"

"What, Midoriko?" Hikari asked. "Please, I taught her what an attitude is, and Sasuke here is used to me. I used to annoy him all the time in our academy days."

…

"You seem like someone who's grieving," Jugo said to Hikari quietly. She looked over her shoulder at him; he was standing in the doorway of the balcony she stood on. She looked back to the horizon. "I can see you're important to Sasuke." Hikari sighed and gripped the railing she was holding harder.

"I used to be," she uttered. "But that was a very long time ago."

"You were his brother's subordinate, that's what Suigetsu said," Jugo continued. "You must be feeling sad."

"Why do you give a shit?" Hikari asked bluntly, hoping to scare him off.

"Because I need Sasuke here, and if you go, he will go. I can see that you're important now. Even though his revenge is at the top of his priorities, I think you are as well."

"Heh, that's funny," Hikari said as she bit her lip, trying not to pay attention to the fact that her heart felt like it was withering. "A lot of people don't understand why I'm sad about Itachi-san…"

"Oh? Isn't it because you cared for him?"

"Well, yes," Hikari said as she felt the familiar sensation in her eyes that told her she was close to crying; it was like a sting. "But that's not all of it. Itachi protected me from the people who wanted to hurt me, but now that he's gone I feel vulnerable and unsafe. I talk big, but I'm really afraid of the Uchiha. Every single one that I have met has used me in some way, and then disappeared when it felt like I needed them most."

"I think you're underestimating your worth," Jugo said. "I remember seeing you a few times when I was with Kimimarou." Hikari sighed.

"Not that I don't appreciate this, but I'd rather be alone," she said quietly as she looked away from him.

"I understand; I just wanted to let you know what I thought."

…

Hikari was alone in the kitchen of the inn. The place they had chosen was an inn that was run by an old married couple and they had taken all the rooms, so they were happy they wouldn't be recognised. She sat at the table with all the lights turned out, only letting the light from the moon guide her. A plate that contained three onigiri made with salted salmon in the middle sat in front of her, untouched. She was hungry, but her mind was too preoccupied to worry. Tears silently fell.

…

Sasuke walked downstairs from his room, sleep far from his grasp. Moonlight draped over anything it could touch by leaking through the windows and gave the inn a sense of tranquility at night. It was so silent he could hear the sound of bamboo knocking against a rock when it filled with water, outside in the inn's garden.

When he stepped into the kitchen he didn't expect to see Hikari, but he also didn't expect to see her gazing out the window with tears rolling down her cheeks. Her expression was indifferent, despite this, tears still fell. He wondered if it was about Itachi and then concluded that she must be remembering something. He walked to the table and she didn't acknowledge his presence. He reached down and took one of the onigiri in front of her and was silently pleased when he tasted tomatoes in the mix. Even after taking her food, she still didn't give him a wink of attention. His mind threw him back to the first day he met Hikari; she sat down next to him and then promptly began to ignore his existence. However, he didn't think Hikari was actually ignoring him, but lost in her own thoughts. He sighed as he walked behind her and lightly touched her arms, sliding his hands down to her elbows and then back up them. She shivered and then looked over her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I came down here to eat something, and found you," Sasuke whispered; he knew it was very late, and preferred not to have curious people be woken up. Her eyes wondered to her Onigiri, and then back over her should to him.

"Well, you ate something," she said in a tone that sounded distinctly like she was passing him a hint to get lost. Sasuke walked in front of her, and then touched her face, brushing away tears from her cheeks. She turned away from him, promptly wiping the liquid from her face as warmth crept to her cheeks. "Don't touch me."

"You can't make up your mind can you?" Sasuke asked as he stared into her watery violet eyes. "You want to be with me, but you feel it's too soon after he died."

"Don't you dare tell me what _I_ feel," Hikari spat. "You left me in Konoha, you didn't want me, but as soon as I decided I didn't want you anymore, you started to torment me!"

"So, your feelings for me are torn. You don't want to let go of the past, yet you want me now," he said confidentially.

"I do _**not**_ want you," Hikari snarled. "What _I _want is for _you_ to go_**away**_." He smirked, the corners of his lips slightly tugging upwards. Her frown only grew worse. Sasuke suspected that she wanted to hit him.

"What changed between when you healed me in the cave and now?" he asked.

"I remembered that you always take what I love most away from me," Hikari closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. "Sasuke, I _**hate**_ you."

"But you love me more than you hate me," he said as he leaned back onto the table. She let out a frustrated noise and he smirked. He looked into her eyes and saw something he hadn't seen in two years; anxiety, she didn't know what he was up to, but also, anticipation. He remembered when he first found her in the hideout and tried to kiss her; she had slapped him and slipped away. Sasuke smirked to himself at the memory and let out a 'che'. He slowly leaned forwards and gripped the back of the chair with both hands, trapping her underneath him. For a moment, he thought he was in the fields training with her again. He was trapping her between his body and a tree; stealing a kiss from her while the shadows of leaves danced around them. She tasted like the beauty of a spring morning over water. Her lips were smoother than he remembered them; it was like the soft caress of a rose-petal. He was mildly surprised that she kissed him back with the same passion and fire inside wanting to break free. He could practically feel her heart racing in her chest. He was also unfamiliar with how timid she was. It was almost as if she was asking 'is it okay if I do this?' He cupped her face and felt more tears as he did; he wondered if she felt happy or guilty. He began to pull away, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him in place, tangling her fingers through his tresses. It was like she was desperate for something to happen, but what, he didn't know. The kiss suddenly felt wrong to him. It was like someone dropped a stone in his stomach, and he wanted to pull away again. It was like she wasn't kissing him, but kissing somebody else _through_ him. His eyes widened slightly when the realization dawned on him. He forced himself away from her, his eyes hurt and betrayed. She refused to look at him as more tears rushed down her face and she held her head. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and then abruptly turned and began to exit the kitchen, feeling his anger surface and the will to make her hurt as much as he did. He heard her break down and sob, but instead of turning around and consoling her, he looked over his shoulder with cold Sharingan eyes pointed in her direction. Her crying stopped, and her face was fearful for a moment before it turned blank and she stood from her chair but fell back against the window as her legs gave out. She held her chest and gripped the fabric covering it as if it was smothering her. She slid the floor watching him with widened eyes and breathing heavily. She broke eye-contact and then crawled into herself, biting back her tears. He knew she was in pain, but he wasn't willing to turn around and forgive her. He wouldn't become Itachi for her; that was too much to ask. Without another look at her tearstained face he walked towards the stairs, refusing to show anything more than a cold and calculating expression.


	38. The Thirty Eighth Passage

_**The Thirty-Eighth Passage:**_

Leaving the inn and continuing towards the Land of Lightning had been bad for Hikari, because Sasuke refused to acknowledge her presence at all. The way he refused to look at her sent chills to her core; she wondered if this was what Sakura felt. Suddenly, she felt a little sorry for the Kunoichi.

Hikari felt uncomfortable, and his silence had an iron grip around her chest, constricting her breathing and heart. However, Hikari didn't think it could get worse until Sasuke began to ignore any words that she spoke, or ideas that she had about the capture. She felt utterly shot-down by him. No matter what Hikari said, Sasuke would ignore her like she hadn't spoken in the first place.

After hours of Sasuke's cruel treatment, Hikari's restless unease boiled into anger, and then only grew, looming over her and waiting to escape through her. She tried to supress it, but the more Sasuke went on being an asshole, the more her emotions and insides writhed; it was like a dangerous chemical reaction just waiting to overflow from its containment and lash out.

She was trying to keep her breathing even and to make things worse; she could feel Jugo's eyes on her. She had liked the quite person from Sasuke's group at first, but now he made her uneasy; it was like he could read her thoughts and he knew her mind. She sucked in air and slowly released it, trying to bring the tide of her anger inwards; without the curse-mark to worry about, she found it a lot harder to control the anger that would once activate it. She let out her breaths slowly and evenly, but it wasn't helping; she just wanted to cause a scene.

"_Don't hate Sasuke."_

She bit her bottom lip and tried to contain the feelings that were corrupted by an aching resentment. She exhaled again, but it was shaky and laboured; when she opened her eyes and looked at Sasuke, she saw everything she hated in him.

"Fuck this," Hikari said aloud as she abruptly stopped walking. "I am done with this." Hikari turned around and began to head in the opposite direction, pushing down how angry she was. "I'm out, good luck with the Hachibi."

"Uh, do we just let her walk off like that?" Suigetsu asked Sasuke with an eyebrow raised at her sudden and strange behaviour; though he couldn't say he didn't sense the tension between the two, but he thought it was a different kind of tension.

"Get her," Sasuke demanded as he folded his arms and turned towards her with an aloof posture. Suigetsu turned around and drew his sword, however, Hikari skilfully dodged as he attacked.

"I'm in a really bad mood," Hikari said venomously. "Fuck off."

"I'm sorry, I can't do that," Suigetsu said with a lopsided smirk. Hikari narrowed her eyes as she slowly drew a kunai knife from her pouch. Her lip curled as she glowered at him. He began to attack again, but she dodged and then disappeared from in front of him. He turned around and saw her holding Karin from behind; a bloody arm to the girl's lips. Hikari immediately took control of the Kunoichi and then looked Sasuke directly in the eyes.

"I swear I will kill her if you don't make your minion back off," Hikari hissed. Karin's eyes widened when she felt a jabbing pain where her kidney was.

"S-Sasuke!" her face contorted in pain. "She's-"

"Withdraw your blood," Sasuke commanded. Hikari's palm started to burn, but she almost didn't give a damn. However, a devilish smirk appeared on her lips; slowly as it stretched across the pink flesh.

"So you're going to talk to me now that I'm going to kill her, fine," Hikari said with a shrug as she visibly pulled some blood from Karin and it wasn't her own. She knew Sasuke fell for it, because the burning stopped. She made sure to make it so Karin couldn't speak or make any facial expressions and continued sending shockwaves of pain throughout Sasuke's sensory-ninja; she just hopped Karin would be too fucked up after this so that if Sasuke was hurt, she couldn't heal him.

"Come with me, Hikari," Sasuke said in a tone that told her she was in for it. She rolled her eyes and then released her control on Karin, realising she couldn't go through with her fun because her hand was on fire again.

Once they were out of earshot and concealed by some trees, Sasuke pinned the Kunoichi to one.

"You have no right to be angry," Sasuke hissed. Hikari's eyes narrowed and she mustered the worst glare she could and snarled.

"You killed one of the most important people in my life," Hikari shouted. "How the fuck do you expect me to react! It's not like I planned to have that happen; it just did!" The urge to get back at her surfaced again and he slammed her into the tree as he forced his lips on hers. She bit his lip hard enough to draw blood and then he activated his Sharingan as he pulled away from her. She took deep breaths and glowered at him. "Do you know why I like your brother more, huh?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I didn't feel like he was a step away from beating me when he lost his temper." Hikari's upper lip curled. "I would rather be killed than have to deal with this."

"I would never hit you," Sasuke hissed.

"It doesn't mean that I don't fear it when you pin me to a tree and force yourself on me, Sasuke," she snapped. "My god, he just died and you have no respect for my space. As if you have the nerve to get angry with me when your kiss reminded me of his! Just fuck off, Sasuke!"

"This isn't how this was supposed to happen," he uttered as he let go of the tension he held; however, his next sentence lost its control and he began to shout. "You slept with my brother and betrayed me. You did everything you could to drive a blunt object through my core."

"Oh, at least I didn't just disappear without any explanation. At least I tried. You used me and then told me I was nothing in a letter. At least have the balls to say it to my face, coward."

"I said that so you wouldn't follow me," Sasuke growled. "I told you that you weren't important so you wouldn't ruin your life for me!"

"But it's not okay for me to move on!" Hikari shouted the question as she shoved against him.

"Not with the person I was trying to kill," Sasuke snarled. "That was the worst thing you did. You went to _him_. You went to my brother and you fucked him just so you could pour salt in the wounds."

"I didn't have a choice but to help your brother!" Hikari screamed. "I was captured and tricked into signing my life away! I was _ordered_ to be with him at all times. You know how it works, I must obey!" She shook as tears came out of her eyes. "I fell in love with him, I didn't do it to try and screw with you. You know, when two people have strong enough feelings for each other, that's something they do!" Hikari clenched her fist and then let her anger out as she slapped Sasuke across the face. "At one time, I wanted to seek Itachi out and ask about Haruo Uchiha; but, I wanted to do it by your side as I watched him die. I can't believe you think I would go and try to stab you in the back like that!" Sasuke held his reddening cheek and watched her cry with widened eyes. "I loved you Sasuke. I loved you so much that it hurt. I betrayed my village, and gave my father the middle finger to be with you. I pretended to be what I wasn't because I loved you, but you _left _me. You didn't even ask, you didn't even say _anything_. Was I that untrustworthy?" Hikari swallowed her rage. "And now…Now you have the nerve to tell me that I'm a whore? You have the nerve to say that I'm in the wrong? You just can't stand that your brother did what you couldn't; he actually loved me." Sasuke slammed her into the tree again.

"Don't you dare," he breathed.

"What?" Hikari demanded. "State the truth!"

"Don't imply that we can't get through this…" he uttered. Hikari paused and looked him in the eyes. She saw that she was torturing him; she saw the regret swimming in their depths. After a moment, she looked away, trying to keep her anger.

"It's too late," she whispered. "You're too fucking late." She laughed, though nothing was funny. "And to think when I was in Otogakure, I prayed that I'd wake up to find out you went back to Konoha. I may be stuck here, and Itachi was too, but you're here of your own free will."

"Hikari, I'm here because I have to be."

"NO!" Hikari screamed as she shoved him away from herself again. "You're here because you're chasing shadows instead of doing what Itachi wanted! You're here because you're a vindictive asshole!"

"Itachi wouldn't have wanted you to face Madara on your own…" Hikari let out another yell and lunged at him with a kunai in hand.

"Don't you dare pretend to care about me! You're here for yourself! You're here to fill the void! Don't you dare use me as an excuse to lie to yourself." Sasuke grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his chest; forcing her to drop the knife.

"I'm sorry, Hikari," he whispered. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I've made bad decisions and I'm sorry they ended up hurting you. I never meant for it…However, you can't say that I am not speaking the truth when I say that I want to keep your from harm now." Sasuke slipped his fingers under her chin and tilted her face upwards. She was shaking and tears were streaming down her face.

"I'm scared of you, Sasuke," she admitted as she shook her head. "I don't want to do this again. I don't want to watch you disappear. I cannot-"

He silenced her with his lips, and she remained static in his arms. After a moment she gave up fighting and returned his kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. She hated him more than anything. She wanted to tear him down until there was nothing left and reduce him to writhing, but it only made his kiss more addictive. It only made her tangle her fingers in his hair, and it only made her want more. It didn't take long for Hikari to realise there was something so much more twisted to their relationship.


	39. The Thirty Ninth Passage

_**The Thirty-Ninth Passage:**_

Hikari was comfortable living in the past.

"_I don__'__t even want to spar anymore__…"_

"_Then let's just lay here,__"__ he mumbled as he looked down at her and then wrapped his free arm around her small frame. She looked up and stared into his obsidian pools, giving him a gentle smile. _

"_I__'__d like that__…"_

Hikari looked up and wondered if it would be like it was back then, lying in his arms on the soft grass beneath them. Sasuke looked at the sky, his mind somewhere far away. A gentle smile lifted up the corners of her mouth. Somehow, their argument fifteen minutes before had cleared everything away; perhaps she wasn't defying Itachi's will by arguing with him, because now she felt like a thousand burdens had been taken away. She felt like she did back then. She felt untouched by the nightmares that had been looming in her mind. Her thoughts briefly trailed to Taka; they were waiting for them about a kilometre away but she didn't want to move or ruin the moment. She felt like she didn't need to be heading out to murder someone.

"We should probably get back to them," she whispered.

"There's another inn up ahead. They'll go there; we'll catch up to them later. We should rest again anyways, tomorrow we'll be at our destination," Sasuke said as he looked down at her.

"Right," Hikari said as she exhaled. She laid her head on the junction of his shoulder and the collarbone, closing her eyes. "Do you think we'll be like we used to?"

"No," he stated without much thought. "It was different back then."

"Yeah, we were kids," Hikari said with a light sigh. Suddenly, a smirk possessed his features and he sat up, forcing her with him.

"Let's spar."

"Excuse me?" Hikari asked with a raised eyebrow. He stood and then pulled her up with him. "You're serious. Wow, okay then."

Hikari tightened her fingerless gloves and grabbed the katana-hilt from her pouch. Sasuke lifted an eyebrow and she smirked as she funnelled her chakra into it; she created a chakra blade and then changed the nature of it to wind.

"Well, this should be interesting," he said as he drew his own sword.

"Yeah, I think we're pretty evenly matched. Well, except for your Sharingan…" She sighed. "I can't do any crazy jutsu with wind yet, but Kisame senpai has taught me a few interesting water ones. Let's see if you can keep up, shall we?"

…

"Where do you think he is?" Karin asked as she impatiently tapped her foot. "Sasuke's had to of disposed of her body by now." Suigetsu scoffed.

"Yeah right, they're obviously fucking in the woods somewhere," he argued as he lifted his water-bottle to his lips. After drawing in a long gulp, he lowered it again. "There is obvious sexual tension between them."

"She tried to kill me!" Karin raged.

"It probably turned Sasuke on," Suigetsu suggested as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"You're a pig," Karin shouted as she threw the apple she had been holding at his head. He caught it and then took a bite out of it.

"Thanks," he said as he held it up. "You're just upset because Sasuke doesn't give you any of his attention."

"W-What!" she said as she pushed up her glasses and her face turned red. "I don't care about having his attention. I just care that she tried to kill me."

"And here you said she was weak and useless," Suigetsu finished with a smirk. "I don't think weak and useless is Sasuke's type. That's probably why he isn't attracted to you in the least. Plus, you're as flat as a board." Karin started to fume.

"I'm going to kill you, idiot!" She screamed.

"Karin." She halted before she even began to lunge. She looked to the door and saw Sasuke enter the inn lobby followed by Hikari. Both of them were extremely dirty and covered in sweat. Their hair was a mess and they looked extremely worn-out. Suigetsu looked at Karin with a triumphant smirk.

"I told you so." Hikari raised a thin brow.

"Uh, why are you two acting so…suspicious?" she asked as she looked between them.

"You look terrible," Suigetsu said as he looked her up and down.

"Well, that's what happens when you keep on being pushed into the ground; the rolling also didn't help my case. I'm going to need more clothes now, thank you, Uchiha," Hikari said in a tone that only slightly suggested she was offended at Suigetsu's comment.

"You think I don't?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow as he crossed his arms.

"I never said that. I know a town not too far from here. We can stop there on the way back," Hikari said with a small smile; Itachi had once bought her a cloak there. "After all of that, I need to bathe; you kept me on my toes and now I'm all sweaty." Hikari eyed Karin curiously; the girl's mouth was slightly ajar. Her expression was a mix of surprise and fury. "Well, Uchiha. We should spar again sometime. It's a good workout." Karin snapped out of her trance and slammed her fist down onto Suigetsu's head.

"BAKA!" Hikari tilted her head and looked at Sasuke.

"Did you try to recreate Sakura?"

"Che."

"Thought so."

…

Hikari stared in the mirror, observing at her long locks of hair. Only parts of her bangs hung in her face, the rest was braided. She looked tired because of the large bags around her eyes. They also looked puffy and she realised just how much she had been crying lately. She saw her door open and then shut in the mirror. However, the person had made sure to enter fast.

"So, now you're stalking me?" Hikari asked in a teasing manner.

"It's strange how you can go from one mood to another in a day. Are you sure you aren't bipolar?"

"Do you want me to be angry with you?" Hikari asked with a raised brow. "I decided to drop it because it's not worth speaking about, but believe me, I could be angry with you." Hikari sighed. "I feel like I'm moving too fast away from Itachi-sama. I feel like I've betrayed him." Sasuke looked at her, but didn't know what to say. In reality, he wanted to say 'so what?' but he knew better than to speak the words out loud; he knew that would greatly offend Hikari and land him back at square one. She closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "I want to cut my hair."

"Why?"

"It's too long," Hikari said quietly. "Also, when I start anew, I cut my hair. I want to start over with you Sasuke…" She took a few locks of her bangs in her hands. "In my mind, this is my life with Itachi." She reached out and picked up the kunai knife that was sitting on the vanity table in front of her. She had set it there a little earlier, debating her decision. "I wouldn't do this if I didn't think that it was worth it…" She let a breath escape from her lips. "But I know I need to get past this."

"I won't hurt you again," he assured as he lightly touched her shoulder. She nodded and then brought the knife to her hair, but before she could cut it, Sasuke took the weapon front her hands. He looked into her eyes through the mirror and Hikari nodded at him. He cut off the hair she had in a braid; leaving the length to her shoulders and a little longer in the back. He handed her the hair and she closed her eyes, trying to remember every moment with Itachi. She sucked in air and then put the hair in the trash bin next to her; letting the memories they shared rest in the back of her mind as she did. "Thank you."

Her voice slipped past him in a whisper, however, he didn't respond. Instead, he leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll always miss him, Sasuke," she said quietly as she looked at him through the mirror.

"I know," he uttered as he rubbed her arms from her shoulder to her elbow and back. Sasuke kissed her head once more before straightening and walking towards the exit. He twisted the nob and opened the door ajar before looking over his shoulder. "Good night, Hikari."

"Sasuke?" she asked timidly. He watched her as she lifted her head revealing the tears that had begun to slide down her cheeks. Her voice broke with her words. "Stay with me?" He nodded and then she heard that he had shut the door.

"If it's what you want."

…

Shizuka frowned as she remembered watching the newly titled squad of shinobi depart for the Land of Lightning the day before she had returned to Amegakure.

"Is something bothering you, Kameyo?" Madara asked as he eyed her.

"I'm not sure I want Hikari to be around Sasuke," Shizuka responded. "I have seen people like him before. I'm not sure telling him the truth was the best idea."

"He deserved to know," Madara rebutted.

"That may be the case, but his personality has drastically changed," Shizuka said as she turned her head and looked him in the eye. "Even though Konoha has done terrible things, I will always think of it as my home; our home, Madara." She closed her eyes. "I want them to pay, but I'm not sure I would want the entire village to perish."

"Are you saying you're not going to go forwards with the plan?" Madara asked as he gazed at her with his Sharingan eye.

"No, I'm not saying that at all," Shizuka said with a sigh. "I was just speaking my mind."

"I see," he responded. Shizuka opened her eyes and looked into Amegakure. "I should probably go and recruit a couple more branch clans but I want to speak with you about something first."

"Oh? And what would that be?" Madara asked as he looked at her once again. She frowned and looked back towards the city that was surprisingly dry.

"I have had a sudden nagging feeling come over me lately, so I pursued curing it," Shizuka looked at him. "I delved into my most guarded memories and I realised that Orochimaru was not the only man to touch me in ways that should only be shared between lovers that night. As I recall, you did as well." Madara did not respond to her comment, so she continued. "I went to Otogakure and tested Orochimaru's dismembered hand against a vile of Hikari's blood…"

"What are you saying, Kameyo?"

"I'm saying that Hikari is not Orochimaru's child like I thought she was which leads me to the only other logically answer." Madara's eyes widened with the realization, though she could not see them. "Hikari is your daughter."


	40. The Fortieth Passage

_**The Fortieth Passage:**_

"That's not possible," Madara countered after he let the thought sink in. "You said yourself that you were sure when you were pregnant with Orochimaru's child."

"I thought I was," Shizuka said with a frown. "But only because I was too obsessed with self-pity to think otherwise. When I said I was sure, it was only because snakes haunted my thoughts and dreams for months." Shizuka sighed. "She is your daughter."

"She cannot know the truth," Madara said in a dangerously quite voice.

"I was thinking along the same lines…"

"Kameyo, I should have seen the signs. She has so many Uchiha traits in her." His tone was surprisingly frustrated.

"She looks like a Koizumi." Shizuka sighed. "Look, I have to go recruit more clans but be weary of this information. I wonder if it would benefit Sasuke's attitude towards her." Shizuka frowned. "You're not directly related to Sasuke, correct?"

"No, only through the Uchiha," Madara replied. Shizuka sighed with relief.

"I'm going now, I'll be back soon."

"Be careful. Make sure to use your Jutsu on the leaders before talking to them."

"Yeah I know…"

…

"So, where is this thing called the 'Hachibi'?" Suigetsu interrogated the man he held against a fence.

"You idiot," Hikari said as she folded her arms and rolled her eyes. "You do not flat out approach. Now he knows what we look like. Why are you such a moron?" She shook her head and looked at Sasuke. "I leave you people alone for five minutes and you've already screwed up." The man looked at Suigetsu out of his peripheral vision crossly.

"Do not take us so lightly," he warned with a scowl. "We have no intentions of telling you anything!"

"See? Now you've pissed him off," Hikari said with a groan. "Next time just sit back like a good little fishy and let the grown-ups do the sensitive work." Suigetsu tightened his hold around the shinobi's throat. "We, of the Yotsuki-clan, never betray our comrades!"

"Doubt exists in a fearful heart," Sasuke said as he stepped forwards with a pointed Sharingan-glare. Hikari frowned.

"Sasuke, you need to go easy on the Mangekyou, may I remind you that you will go blind if you overuse it," Hikari said as she crossed her arms.

"Suigetsu, enough," Karin said as she crossed her arms. "He's under Sasuke's genjutsu."

"I was just getting to the fun part, pity," Suigetsu said with a sigh. He released his hold on the man, and the shinobi began to fall. Hikari rushed forwards and caught him, steading him on his knees.

"My god, be more careful. He could have bashed his head and died. You people honestly do not know how to be a part of the Akatsuki. You draw way too much attention to yourselves. I hate idiots…"

"Tell me where the Hachibi is," Sasuke demanded as he stared into the shinobi's eyes with his now onyx coloured ones.

"He is training at Unraikyo, Storm Cloud Ravine," the shinobi replied in a monotone.

"Any distinguishing features?" Sasuke asked without hesitation.

"He wields eight blades and has bull horns tattooed on his left cheek…" The shinobi began to fall forwards and Hikari caught him again, lowering him to the ground at a steady pace.

"Eight blades?" Hikari asked herself with a raised brow. "I think I shouldn't get too into this fight. He's probably better at Taijutsu than I, Sasuke. Even though I have improved, I cannot go against someone who can wield so many swords." Hikari stood and brushed herself back. "Perhaps I should stand back and fight off any intruders or fire long-distance attacks?"

"I'd prefer you upfront," Sasuke said as he looked sideways at Hikari. "Even though you are unconfident in your hand-to-hand skills, if you manage to get even a drop of your blood in him, he's done for."

"If you distract him I can easily do that, however, to avoid suspicion, I need to get cut by him. There are a lot of Koizumi in this area, so I am unsure of how he would react to someone slicing open their arm." Hikari sighed. "I can also provide healing as well."

"There is no need for that," Karin barked as she pushed up her glasses.

"Hmm, I don't know, what's more disgusting Sasuke? Ingesting my blood, or biting _her_?"

"Somehow I think that biting Karin is worse," Suigetsu said with a coy smirk. "However, the both of you have rather repulsive ways of healing. Why can't you be normal medical ninja?"

"It's simple," Hikari said as her eye twitched as she folded her arms again. "I'm not a medical shinobi…" Sasuke turned abruptly and began walking. Hikari nodded and began to follow the group. Suigetsu was the last to leave, trailing behind her.

…

"Great he is also bulky and muscular," Hikari uttered as she eyed the Hachibi wearily.

"Are you the Hachibi?" Sasuke called.

"No, it's Lord Jinchuuriki-sama," the Hachibi said as he pointed at Sasuke. "Say 'Are you Lord Jinchuuriki?' Okay?"

"I'm here to capture you," Sasuke said stoically as the wind began to blow the bangs from his face.

"No, you have to say, 'Please allow me to capture you, sir.' Okay, alright?"

"Is he rapping?" Hikari asked as her eye twitched.

"Suigetsu, you take the right," Sasuke ordered. "Jugo, you take the left. Karin, get behind me. Hikari, you will get behind Jugo and act as back up. Keep intruders away, try to infect the Hachibi and heal anyone who is injured immediately. We cannot afford any screw-ups. Karin, you're going to be healing as well."

"Got it," Hikari said with a nod as she jogged until she was behind Jugo. Before Hikari had blinked, Suigetsu took off and attacked the Jinchuuriki.

"We aren't supposed to kill the Hachibi, Suigetsu," Jugo said.

"It's alright," Karin said. "I can feel his chakra."

"This is going to be painful," Hikari said as she sighed.

"Such a flashy diversion," Karin said as she watched.

"I cannot hear a word their saying," Hikari said as she squinted; she watched as the Hachibi chucked Suigetsu's sword. Jugo stepped forwards.

"Suigetsu, get back."

Hikari narrowed her eyes and saw the Hachibi pick up Suigetsu's sword but she couldn't hear a word coming from his mouth. She frowned and then began to plan what she should do if she had to fight him; it was risky and dangerous and her mind tried to spread over all the memories of Itachi teaching her. She reached into her ninja pouch and took out the sword-hilt. If she needed to, she would use it; however, it worried her a little because she could only use it for a span of five minutes. She would have to get in and out, or hold him off until someone could take over. She knew for certain though that she wouldn't start to use it until the last second possible. She looked again and realised that Sasuke had reappeared sometime during the fight. She felt a little more relieved.

"_He has eight tails; it's going to be the hardest battle of my life. I don't think I could even stand a chance fighting Gaara and he only had the Ichibi. This is really dangerous, especially since Taka is so inexperienced. What would Itachi do? What would he plan? I went with him to capture Kisame's target but I was barely involved except controlling him with my blood…_" Hikari looked at the Hachibi with determined eyes. "_I know it's suicide to fight but if I can get just one hit on him, just a drop of blood into his body, we would win._" Hikari bit her lip and nodded to herself. She lifted her eyes and watched Jugo fight; he had such awesome control of the curse-mark. She wondered if it would stay that way. As if on cue, he was knocked down. Hikari nodded to herself and dashed forwards.

"What are you doing!" Karin yelled.

"Trying to win us the fight!"

Hikari brought her sword to life and full out attacked him; she was trying to get cut without inflicting the damage herself. The Hachibi made no effort to cut her, he just took her weapon at the expense of a shallow cut of his palm. She narrowed her eyes and took off again; disappearing from in front of him and then reappearing behind him. He simply turned and knocked her back.

"_Taijutsu is not my strong suit…_" She winced when her back hit a rock and it cracked around her. She bit her lip and tried to breathe in without pain; her ribs had been broken, three of them. She had no choice but to reveal her abilities to him. She reached into her pouch and took out a syringe of her blood, injecting it into the tissue that covered her ribs. With some effort, she managed to repair the bones; she wasn't all that used to repairing bone instead of tissue. Sasuke appeared in front of her and then picked her up in his arms. He reappeared with the rest of the group, setting her down with the others.

"Even you couldn't get him to cut you," Sasuke said as he looked at the man who had proclaimed himself as 'Killer Bee' with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, it sucks. He wouldn't do any attacks that would cut me open. There are a lot of Koizumi, perhaps he was prepared?"

Killer Bee picked up Jugo and threw him at Sasuke's feet.

"Are you okay!" Karin asked.

"Yeah," he said weakly. Hikari rushed forwards and bit open her thumb, forcing it into his mouth, despite the pain of her severely bruising side; at least her ribs weren't broken anymore.

"Drink it, it will restore your strength and body," Hikari said impatiently as she tried to keep an eye on the Hachibi.

"I'll go," Sasuke said as he began to walk forwards.

"Bad idea, Sasuke," Hikari blurted out as she looked up at him with a worried expression. "You're a close-range or midrange combat-type. We know he has really good defence; we should leave and plan more."

"No, I'll go," Sasuke repeated. Jugo stood and faced Killer Bee. Hikari frowned and did the same.

"This is bad, really bad," Hikari said as she shook her head.

Killer Bee began to rap again; Hikari couldn't hear what he was saying, but she could hear the rhythm.

"This guy is getting on my nerves!" Suigetsu said.

"Do you need healing?" Hikari asked as she looked back at him.

"No, I'm fine," he replied. "This guy speaks in such weird verses and is flat-out irritating."

"We're here to gain power as quickly as possible," Sasuke said loudly. "If you don't like it, leave."

"Tch," Suigetsu replied.

"I also want to see if the Akatsuki's verbal promise is worth anything and get this over with as soon as possible." Sasuke said as he drew his katana. "Either way, we're going to be the ones using the Akatsuki. Keep that in mind"

"Yeah right," Hikari said as she crossed her arms. "You're fucking with a dangerous group of criminals. There are still_ technically_ eleven of them left not including me. Even if you include me in this group, us five against them won't win. Especially since six of them are connected through the mind and impossible to beat."

"Che."

"Well, either way," Suigetsu said impatiently. "Let's get to it and silence that irritating rapper."

"I intend to."

…

Hikari held her breath as she watched Bee and Sasuke begin to fight, but her nerves were nothing compared to when she realised that Bee wielded _all _of his eight swords at _once_. She admired Sasuke because he managed to kick Bee when no one else could, let alone touch him, but she began to grow worried for him. She feared that not even Sasuke would be able to withstand eight swords.

"What's with that stance?" Suigetsu asked. Hikari arranged her body into a defensive position.

"We need to be prepared to back him up," she said sternly. "If he goes down, we don't stand a chance." Jugo nodded and then looked back towards the fight, watching with a keen eye. Sasuke and Bee began to fight again, this time it was mainly Sasuke dodging. Hikari bit her lip and tried to search her mind for what to do; she was trying to grasp any kind of strategy.

"_There has to be a weakness in this attack_," she thought while she watched him intently. "_He's going full out, so he must be leaving himself vulnerable somewhere. However, with his speed, if you try to attack, you impale yourself on a sword._" Hikari bit her lip again. "_If we get rid of his swords, we lessen the chance. However, I do not have a clue if one of us could even break them before Bee caught on. This is bad, really bad. I have to start from scratch and try to see a flaw in his technique!_"

Before Hikari could start to work on her plan, her mind focused on how badly Sasuke was getting cut-up. It seemed like every swing of a blade sliced into his skin. She gasped and almost ran forwards when Killer Bee kicked him back and sent him tumbling.

"I've never seen Sasuke struggle like this," she whispered.

"Sasuke! Are you alright!" Karin asked urgently.

"Man, I've never seen anything like this," Suigetsu said as he stared at Bee.

"This guy is dangerous," Hikari uttered with narrowed eyes. "We need to help." Sasuke stood and then quickly weaved the handsigns for Chidori. He ran forwards and snatched his blade from the ground and charged at Bee. However, as Hikari anticipated, Bee countered.

"His element is lightning, Sasuke!" Hikari yelled. Bee continued to attack and drove two of his swords into Sasuke. Hikari widened her eyes and ran forwards, unwilling to hold herself back. She hated the boy most of the time, but she couldn't bear to watch him get hurt. Suigetsu and the team backed her up while she weaved handsigns. "Fuuton: Kaze no Uzu!" Hikari threw her palms forwards and watched as a small whirlwind shot towards Killer Bee; her eyes widened with her success.

"Is that all you can do!" Karin yelled.

"Shut up! I just learned this element; I am surprised I can even do that!"

Hikari jumped back when Bee went forwards, however instead of attacking her like she thought he would, he clashed his blade with Suigetsu's. He used lightning and began to put pressure on the blade. His blade began to sink into the sword but then Sasuke lifted his hand and neutralized the current. Hikari ran forwards and examined the swords stuck in Sasuke's body, hesitantly reaching for them while Jugo attacked Bee from behind. She didn't want to pull them out because it would damage something; one of the blades was set very close to his lungs. Karin ran forwards.

"We need to move him!" Hikari nodded and then helped Karin drag him away from the fight.

"Karin I will use my blood to heal the injuries as you pull the blades out slowly," Hikari instructed as she bit her thumb open and let the blood seep into one of the wounds. Once she was ready she nodded at Karin who began to pull the sword out slowly as Hikari closed the wound. "Okay, one more." Hikari pulled the blood away from the healed wound and let it sink into the next one. She nodded once again and Karin performed the same process.

"This is bad," Karin said as she pulled up her sleeve. "He's been injured in several areas. Here Sasuke, hurry up and bite me!"

"That sounds so wrong," Hikari said as she brought her palm to her face, refusing to watch Sasuke bite onto the other girl's arm. She didn't know why, but a sudden pang of jealousy went off in her gut and all she wanted to do was rip Karin's arm off; especially when she moaned. Hikari tried to resist twitching and to keep her body still but she found it hard. She bit her lip and continued to look away, though she could feel Sasuke's eyes on her and the presence of a pompous smirk; even if it wasn't on his face, he was smirking at her behaviour inside, which she detested the idea of. She wanted to punch him in the jaw.

"Arrogant ass," she said underneath her breath.

"Thanks, Karin, Hikari," Sasuke said as he sat up.

"I barely did anything," Hikari said with a huff as she crossed her arms and her eyebrow twitched. "Thank your new girlfriend." Sasuke stood and left. After she watched Sasuke arrived at Suigetsu's side, Hikari turned back to Karin with her brows pulled together in a semi-worried expression. "Are you alright? It looks like that took a lot of your chakra."

"I've been better," she said quietly as she took in deep breaths.

"Here," Hikari said as she tossed Karin a syringe of her blood. "Just inject it into your arm, it will restore you strength and help you recover your chakra." Karin nodded and took the blood from Hikari. Hikari stood and then turned back towards the battle with a frown worn onto her face. Hikari frowned as she watched Sasuke electrocute both Suigetsu and the Hachibi. Hikari ran forwards and took another syringe from her pouch, jabbing it into Suigetsu's arm. She wasn't sure if it would work, but it any tissue was damaged from the lightning, the blood would heal it. Sasuke jumped back to Karin and Hikari followed, bringing Suigetsu with her.

"Is this helping you?" she asked as she mapped out his insides and tried to find any damage.

"Yeah it's soothing, like water," Suigetsu said with a smirk. Hikari nodded and focused on healing some of the burns on the surface of his body. She stood and helped Suigetsu to his feet; however, she was grabbed by Jugo before she could move and being flung through the air. However, she didn't anticipate to land in water.

Time slowed and for a moment she was just sinking until her back hit the bottom. She watched the surface and Itachi's face came into her mind; she thought of opening her mouth and breathing in the liquid until she died. However, her mind returned to Sasuke.

"_He needs my help_!" She thought as she closed her eyes. "_They need my help and I've been so pathetically useless!_" She could hear her heart beating in her ears, and it was as if with every thump the water pulsed around her. It reminded her off the feeling she got when she put her blood into another person but there was nothing but the earth and water around her. Suddenly, she burst from the water and the surface pulsed beneath her. She looked up to where Killer Bee was and let out a frustrated scream, throwing her arms forwards. Water shot from all around her and flew towards the Jinchuuriki. Sasuke's eyes widened and his mind reeled to something Madara told him.

"_The Koizumi have a terrible habit of getting very frustrated when fighting and they will tap into powers that you cannot imagine. Do you know why the Koizumi can control people?" _

"_Because of their blood," Sasuke said in a bored tone. _

"_Wrong," Madara said with a smirk. "It's their essence." _

"_Essence?" _

"_Perhaps 'life force' is a more appropriate word. It's like how very few Uchiha unlock the Mangekyou; Very few Koizumi are able to use their entire ability. Through their DNA, or their blood, they are manually injecting their essence into someone; however, only two other Koizumi have ever surpassed this and were able to inject their chakra into any living thing around them. All they need to do is send out their chakra. In one case, they used sound waves. The chakra pulses through every living thing in the area and forces them to bend to their will. A fully fledged Koizumi has the ability to wield any element without any handsigns but the chakra amount is dangerous. Without long breaks in between use, their chakra will hit zero and they will die." _

"_How long does the technique last?" _

"_It depends on the Koizumi, but for someone who newly taps into the power, less than a minute." _

Sasuke widened his eyes as he watched Hikari summon more and more water around her, without weaving handsigns.

"Suigetsu, get her now! She will die if she doesn't stop this!"

"What can I do?" Suigetsu asked. "How about you order her to stop?"

Sasuke looked up again.

"Hikari, stop, now," he said in his most demanding tone. She looked down at him, but she seemed far away. He could see the glow on her hand; it was bright against the colour of the water and looked like its heat was the only thing that forced her to stop. The water fell around her and she collapsed in midair. Sasuke teleported and caught her before she hit the water.


	41. The Forty First Passage

_**The Forty-First Passage:**_

Midoriko was scared to travel into a village she had never really felt like she belonged to. The last time she had been here was four years prior in order to meet up with her aunt. She took in a deep breath and walked through the gates of the village, approaching the small booth the guards sat at.

"Midoriko! You're back again!"

"Yeah, Kotetsu-san," Midoriko said with a shy smile. "I came here to speak with my aunt about the missing Uchiha and Koizumi. I told her I would keep her informed."

"Yeah we know," the man said. "It must be hard pretending to be a criminal."

"I've never killed innocents and only acted as a Sound Shinobi," Midoriko said with narrowed eyes. "I am no criminal. I agreed to spy on the Sound for Jiraiya-sama. Who do you think funnelled him his information?"

"We know," Izumo said with a friendly smile. "I don't really see the point of staying there anymore."

"That's kind of why I'm here," Midoriko said with a nod. "Anyways, I had better go see my aunt."

"Yes, I think she will be relieved to see her niece after all this time."

…

"Midoriko!" Shizuna said with a wide smile. "Lady Tsunade will be so relieved. She feared for your life when you didn't contact her after Orochimaru's death."

"I was the person who told Jiraiya's source," Midoriko said with a sigh escaping her lips. "I have a lot I need to tell my aunt, is she busy?"

"I do not think so," Shizuna said as she turned around and began to escort Midoriko to the office doors. When she stepped in front of them, she knocked lightly.

"Come in!" Shizuna opened the door and stepped aside so Tsunade could see Midoriko. Midoriko glanced in the room and saw a white haired shinobi turn around to look as well. Tsunade's eyes widened as she stood from her desk and rushed forwards, embracing her niece in a tight hug. "Why didn't you contact me sooner?"

"I wasn't able to," Midoriko said with a small smile. Tsunade nodded and led her into the office. The man stared at Midoriko with recognition; she figured he must have seen her with Hikari at some time, but she wasn't sure.

"Kakashi, this is the spy I told you about," Tsunade said. "She was the one who passed the word of Orochimaru's death."

"Lady Hokage," Midoriko interrupted. "I have come here to beg on someone's behalf."

Tsunade raised her brow.

"Hikari Koizumi is not a part of the Akatsuki by choice," Midoriko said abruptly. "I heard word that she was recently placed in the bingo book, but she doesn't deserve it!"

"Midoriko, Hikari Koizumi is responsible for the massacre of an entire village!" Tsunade said with a frown.

"Yes, she is, but she was being forced into it by Orochimaru," Midoriko said as tears welled in her eyes. "All she was trying to do was keep herself alive. However, she did everything she could to protect the identity of Naruto Uzumaki from her father, and she even threw away her village at the expense! She had given up on the Sound because of Sasuke Uchiha!"

"Hikari was partly responsible for the kidnapping of Sasuke," Tsunade said.

"Do you really think he was kidnapped?" Midoriko asked in a hiss. "He left so he could kill his brother and he's done that!"

"Itachi Uchiha is dead!" Tsunade asked with wide eyes.

"Yes!"

"Than Hikari should be released from her captivity," Kakashi said as he looked at Midoriko.

"It's more complicated than that," Midoriko said. "There is someone on the inside that truly controls her. Itachi was just a cover-up. And now, now they say that Sasuke is the one that controls her. It's just too coincidental!"

"Sasuke?" Tsunade asked.

"I'm not really sure what's happened to him," Midoriko said with a frown. "But if I had to guess, it's the Akatsuki. He's joined them." Kakashi's eyes widened. Suddenly the door to the office banged open and Naruto rushed inside.

"Sasuke's done what!" Naruto looked at Midoriko and frowned. "You were with Sasuke in the Sound hideout!"

"Naruto, this is my niece," Tsunade said in a drawl.

"Please, my lady," Midoriko said as she fell to her knees and bowed. "Take Hikari out of the bingo book, give her a chance! I believe in her! She's trying to make Sasuke stop! She doesn't have a home anymore, everything is gone for her. I want her to have a place to come back to!"

"Hikari was not a bad person," Kakashi said quietly. "I lived with her, and Asami Koizumi would say the same thing."

"H-Hikari?" Naruto asked. "She was helping Itachi last time I knew!" Midoriko started to cry.

"Please, Tsunade! As my kin, please!"

Tsunade let out a sigh.

"I cannot do that, Midoriko…"

…

"So, you know Hikari?" Naruto asked as he folded his hands behind his head. Midoriko looked at him as they walked and nodded.

"She is my best friend and has been through hell and back to help the people she loves," Midoriko said bitterly. "They act like she's a criminal because she fell in love- you cannot help who you love. It's not something you can change."

"Does she love Sasuke?"

"Deeply," Midoriko said with a nod. "She is trying her best to keep him safe within the organization from what I can tell."

"I thought she hated him," Naruto uttered.

"It's both," Midoriko said with a sigh. "She loves him, but she hates the things he's done to her. She hates to watch what he's becoming. All her life she has been trying to save the people she loves, but they all slip away. I think she is scared to lose Sasuke, so instead of trying to help and fail again, she had decided to hate him so she won't feel the loss."

"I can't imagine how she could love someone like Itachi," Naruto said with a frown. "Someone who hurt Sasuke so much."

"You cannot help who you fall in love with," Midoriko said with a sigh. "I haven't seen her since before Itachi passed away, but I can imagine she's a wreck. She tried very hard to save him."

"Save him from what?"

"Himself," Midoriko answered. She could tell by the look on his face he didn't understand. "Hikari has lived an incredibly hard life, starting around the time her mother died. She was physically abused by her father's henchmen and then tried her best not to displease him because she is terrified of pain inflicted by people she loves. She used to admire her father and respect him deeply, but it disappeared when she met Sasuke. Sasuke changed Hikari for the better, but when he left her, it collapsed in on itself because she didn't know what to do with herself."

"Sasuke changed Hikari?"

"Yes," Midoriko said with a nod. "She saw him as an inspiration because he didn't let the things that happened to him control him; but she didn't realise he was being controlled. It just wasn't in a way she had ever seen. She mistook it as independence. But now, now things are ten times worse. She has lost her freedom and has devoted her life to whatever will happen. She has no will to take control; she has lost the passion and the will to take the reins of her life."

"I'll save her," Naruto said with a nod. "She tried to save my life from Orochimaru; I can't just stand by and let this all happen to her! I never realised she was on our side, trying to bring Sasuke back home. I never realised she was the person I thought she was. She was one of the first people to approach me and talk to me in the academy. She called me her friend."

"Despite the things she says to people and how much she tries to shatter her ties, she is a good person at heart. She is only trying to protect the people she loves by telling them to screw off or saying incredibly harsh things to them. What she said to every one of you that day in the land of wind, she said it because she didn't want you to get hurt. I would do anything to release Hikari from her prison; I'd even die if that's what it took." Midoriko sighed. "It's entirely my fault all of this has happened to her, I was the one who convinced her to run away with me. She was kidnapped while I was attacked and I couldn't stop it."

"It's better if we don't blame ourselves," Naruto said with a frown. "I used to do the same, and tell myself it was because I wasn't strong enough that Sasuke got away. However, I haven't lost hope. I will bring him home and with him, I'll bring Hikari!"

"Naruto…you would do that for her?"

"Yes, because she is a leaf-shinobi!"


	42. The Forty Second Passage

_**The Forty-Second Passage:**_

"I've brought you the Hachibi, as promised," Sasuke said as he dropped Killer Bee's burnt body down in front of Madara.

"Well done, but what has happened to Hikari? She's barely alive," Madara commented as he eyed the young girl.

"She tapped into the power you described," Sasuke said. "I managed to stop her through the curse, but she has been out cold ever since." Madara nodded and stood, pulling something from his cloak.

"Another hour or so and she would be dead," he said as he injected blood into the girl's neck. "It's her mother's blood, so, she should wake up in a few hours. Kameyo will want to train her right away." Sasuke picked up Hikari and began to walk away. "Where are you going?"

"My first priority is to heal. After that…Konoha…"

…

"You've already told me," Sasuke said as he closed his eyes. "'Why couldn't Itachi bring himself to kill me?' because he treasured my life more than the Village. I feel the same way. I treasure Itachi's life more than the Village…"

Madara watched Sasuke with interested eyes.

"_He's had a dramatic shift in personality_…"

"The elders have discriminated against the Uchiha Clan; they made my brother kill his parents and then drove him towards the path of death! The people of Konoha who praise the Senju clan, they're all scumbags too! They're all targets for my revenge!" Sasuke paused and moved his hands to his forehead, resting it in them. "I don't care if you mock me and call me an emotional brat. Carrying on Itachi's wish is a romanticised illusion. It's simply bullshit for those who do not know the true meaning of hatred. If there is anyone who would disprove of my way of living, I'll slaughter them together along with the ones they care about most! That way they could probably understand a little of my hatred…"

"So you are going to slaughter Hikari?" Sasuke looked up at him sharply. "She fell in love with the Hidden Leaf and some of the people there. Her family is there. She is a kind soul and she would not be comfortable with the idea of killing the residents of Konoha who knew nothing." Sasuke stayed silent. "Hikari may love you but she is loyal to Itachi's wishes and ways; her ways. She loved him deeply and tried her hardest to preserve his life. Listen to me closely, Sasuke, because I will not repeat this, nor will you. I am simply telling you this to preserve her life. Hikari is not the daughter of Orochimaru. She is an Uchiha. If you kill her, you'll be killing one of your own." Sasuke's eyes widened as he looked at Madara. "Hikari is my daughter. Her mother was concerned about the way you would treat Hikari; she asked me to pass this information onto you. If you kill Hikari, it is not my wrath that you will have to deal with, but the wrath of Kameyo Koizumi. That power that you saw Hikari release fighting the Hachibi was only a small fraction of the real thing. Kameyo is a fully fledged Koizumi and you cannot beat her. If you kill Hikari, you will perhaps understand a little of Kameyo's hatred."

…

Sasuke watched Hikari as she slept, not really sure what to think of what he had learned, but now that he really _looked_ at her, he could see the Uchiha inside of her. She looked like her mother, but he hadn't realised that a lot of her features were common Uchiha features. Her cheekbones were set high; she had dark hair and pale skin. The only thing she didn't have was the dark and cold-looking obsidian eyes.

"_Did Itachi know_?" he asked himself as he looked at her hair that fell around her face. He wondered if she did disprove of what he wanted. Did she want to live in Konoha? Did she want go back after all that both of their clan's had suffered? How could she forgive the village like that?

_She's like Itachi…._

He realised that even if he wanted to, he highly doubted that he would be able to kill her. He knew his brother had worked hard to keep her alive and help her fend of Madara; he helped her preserve who she was and not lose herself in her pain. What was worse was the fact that he couldn't tell Hikari anything. He sighed and stood up on his feet, turning around and walking towards the exit of the room.

"Don't go…" Sasuke was shocked to hear her voice. However, when she spoke he couldn't leave her. A week before he was prepared to do anything he could to get her back, but now he wanted to separate himself and he didn't know why. She was staring right into his eyes with her own, completely unafraid of him or what he was capable of. He felt like she was gazing deep inside himself and seeing something he wasn't; he couldn't fell what was making her gaze so warm. He took slow steps towards her and sat down on the edge of the bed. A hand touched his shoulder and he looked towards her. She was smiling at him; it struck him through the core. How could she be so _happy_? "Thank you, Sasuke. I think you saved my life." He nodded but didn't say anything. "Did we fail or succeed?"

"The Hachibi is with Madara."

"Are you injured?" She asked as she peered into his eyes, searching for some kind of a lie from him.

"Most of the serious damage has been taken care-" Before he could finish, Hikari had already reached around and unzipped his shirt.

"You have a lot of bruising, cuts and scrapes. It's probably not feeling too good, so I'll heal this up so you can properly rest," she said in a light tone. She smiled at him. "I'm so glad you're safe, Sasuke. I was really worried." He nodded as she brought her left thumb to her lips and bit the sensitive flesh with a sharp canine. He took note to the fact that it wasn't the hand she would write with or use in general; with a glance, he could see that her other thumb was scarred from the same kind of biting. She caught his staring. "I had always helped Itachi with this hand, it just feels wrong to use it." He hadn't asked for an explanation but, knowing Hikari, it wasn't strange that she gave him one. She shoved the appendage that was bleeding towards his mouth and he took it in, drawing the blood from her body. He watched as she closed her eyes and sighed. She looked tired and weary, but at the same time she seemed completely happy with what she was doing; it was as if she would rather be doing this than sleeping. After another moment she pulled her thumb away and he watched as the cut sealed itself closed. She let her hands hover a few centimetres over the skin of his back; she was so close he could almost feel her. A look of concentration took over her features and he could tell she wasn't giving her attention to anything else than healing him. He wanted her to touch him, longed for it. He wanted to know what the light caresses of her fingers over the skin of his back would feel like. He wanted to know what she would feel like in the most intimate ways. Soreness was taken away from his back and the bruises that had once been aching had stopped throbbing. She stood and walked so she was in front of him. She crawled onto the bed so she was straddling him and took a look at his chest. She noticed the off coloured skin. "What happened?" she whispered. He didn't answer; he was too occupied with how _close_ she was to him. Again, she lifted her hands so they loomed just above his flesh and began to heal him. She bit her lip in concentration as she healed the area Jugo had healed him, turning the skin back to its rightful colour. As she moved down the tips of her fingers barely brushed his chest and his breath hitched. Before he could stop himself he had flipped her onto her back and was looming over her. Shock was very present on her face as she gazed at him. Even though he knew she had done this, there was a certain innocence playing in her eyes. It was as if she didn't know his intentions. After a moment of hesitation he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers in an inviting kiss. She didn't respond at first but after a moment she kissed him back; her lips were timid and gentle. The caress was as soft as when he kissed her before, but this kiss felt more real; like it was meant for him and she was thinking about him and only him. He smirked to himself in a triumphant way; perhaps if she hadn't of healed him, he wouldn't have gotten the chance to have her alone and to himself.

…

Hikari woke up late into the night and looked to her side. Sasuke was in a deep sleep, his breathing even. The warmth of his body made her want to drift back into her slumber, but instead she pressed herself against him and laid her head on his chest. It rose and fell with the pace of his breathing. She didn't know Sasuke could be so calm. Tears came to her eyes. For a split second she had wished that she was dreaming. She wished that Sasuke wasn't on the path he was and she wished they could live together in Konoha. She was afraid of what the future would be like with him. Every day he drew himself further away from her and she felt his heart get a little colder. However, in this moment, with his arm lazily draped around her and his calming scent, she was able to fall back asleep. She knew that he would always love her somewhere deep down, but she wondered how deep he would be able to bury it before she broke.


	43. The Forty Third Passage

_**The Forty-Third Passage:**_

"_I do not want to ever go back to Amegakure_," Hikari thought to herself as she let out a heavy sigh and doodled on a pad of paper. She was inside the room she had been assigned in the new hideout and it looked almost identical to her old one; however, there wasn't a door attached to her room that would lead her to Itachi. She didn't want to go back and step foot in their living space; she knew it would only make her break down in tears.

She didn't feel bad for having sex with Sasuke; that was not the reason or her sadness. However, she couldn't help but think of Itachi when she was left alone to her own thoughts and not busy doing _something_.

He was so vivid in her memories that she could almost feel his breath fan onto her neck and his silky whisper in her ear. He was like a fresh scar; one that still ached but the initial wound had been healed. Hikari wondered if the feeling ever went away, or if she would feel this sadness for the rest of her life. She knew Sasuke felt similar sadness; he described it as unbearable. However, Hikari liked to feel the impact of his death because she knew that it was keeping her sane. She knew it was helping her get past it. For too long she had tried to bottle her emotions, but, they would always manage to blow up on her. Hikari figured if she let herself feel the pain of losing Itachi and truly mourned him, she would be able to move on. "_Perhaps that's what Itachi-sama would have wanted. But Sasuke…I don't think he would ever want to see Sasuke the way he is now…_"

Hikari looked up, expecting to look out a window, but quickly realised she wasn't in Amegakure anymore. She wasn't a few steps away from Itachi's door, from his embrace. She dropped her eyes to her hands that rested atop of the desk. She had long ago put the pen she had been using down and pushed the pad of paper away. Now she was just letting her mind wander and letting herself take every beating she thought she had merited. Tears dropped from her eyes and onto her hands and she bit her lip, trying to resist the urge to press everything down. She hadn't realised that truly losing someone was so hard. Hikari knew that she was still very in love with Itachi and was just too afraid to let everything go. She was afraid the existence of his life would disappear forever if she did, like it would drift away; she was afraid the time she had spent with him would disappear. She let out a choked exhale that caught in her throat. More tears ran and she reached into her clothing, gripping something soft into her hands and squeezing it, feeling the hard metal-plate of a forehead protector; one that had the leaf-village symbol carved through with a straight cut from a kunai knife. It was the symbol of a rouge shinobi, but for her, she would always remember it as the symbol of a man who sacrificed everything. She brought it from within her jacket and examined it. It was more battered since the last time she had seen it; small nicks were dented into the surface along with scratches and other damages. Just holding his headband in her hands made her feel a little better, simply because he had always worn it. She felt like it was a piece of him.

The door to the room slammed shut and with a jump Hikari stashed the headband back into her clothing.

"Relax, it's me." Hikari sighed and looked at Sasuke with a small smile.

"Sorry, Madara doesn't realise that I stole Itachi's headband…I just wanted something to hold onto, you know? I'm trying to let everything out." He let out a sigh as he walked further into the room. "So, we're going to destroy Konoha…" Hikari frowned and looked down at her hands again. It was more of an unsure statement rather than a question. She wiped her tears away; she was surprised that Sasuke's arrival had stopped them so abruptly.

"Yeah."

"Why?" Hikari looked into his eyes, unafraid of him; it wasn't like when she was with Itachi; she wasn't afraid of Sasuke's eyes in the way she had been afraid of Itachi's. She had never been able to read Itachi's eyes and it unnerved her, however, when she looked into Sasuke's eyes she could see some of the emotions.

"They all let Itachi suffer," he said as he clenched his fist.

"But Sasuke, how can you claim they let him when they didn't know?" Hikari asked with a thin brow raised. "Sure, the advisors knew. They set it up. Kill Danzo and the other two, but the civilians? What have they done?"

"Ignorance isn't an excuse," Sasuke said bitterly. Hikari sighed and stood. She walked towards his with confident steps; shoulders squared and head held high.

"You were ignorant," Hikari said with a frown. "You lived there for thirteen years of your life, six of them completely ignorant of Itachi's suffering and pain; do you deserve to die for that?"

"I wasn't happy," Sasuke snapped. "I wasn't laughing, I wasn't apart of _them_!"

"So kill me," Hikari said as she outstretched her arms and left herself completely open to any kind of attack. Sasuke's eyes widened. "I was a part of them. I laughed and I smiled. The year I was there was the best of my life, so kill me. I enjoyed myself while Itachi suffered. I fell in love while everyone hated his guts. I lived in the peace he sacrificed himself for. Stab me; I'm glad he killed everyone." Sasuke narrowed his eyes and slammed her against the wall five feet behind them. She coughed and tried to suck in oxygen, but her breath had been stolen from her with the impact. She looked up into his eyes, violet piercing him like a sharp knife. "If it wasn't for Itachi, I would have never had the courage to leave my father. I would have never met you, and I wouldn't be standing here now. I owe him everything I have. I'm glad he did what he did. I'm speaking out against you, so kill me Sasuke! Take my life like you took his! Like he took your parent's! Just kill me now so I don't have to die on the inside while I watch you slip into something I cannot save you from! I don't want to see it, Sasuke! I don't want to see that village burn, _I would rather die_."

"That's how you feel?" he asked in a whisper. Her eyes widened when she heard the distinct crackling noise of Chidori. Her eyes shined blue as she watched death come closer to her. Sasuke slammed his fist into the wall, so close that some of the hair on her head shrivelled. He stared her down with Sharingan eyes as a silence passed between them.

"If you can't kill me, why is it okay to kill them?" she asked in a whisper. He looked away from her and she watched as his eyes faded to obsidian.

"You're not like them either…" He looked into her eyes again. "You're far more generous than they are. They are ignorant of the truth and probably wouldn't care if they did know, but you beg for the lives of people who you don't even know- people who are descendants of the Senju. They split your clan down the middle and they are the reason your life is the way it is."

"If my life was any different, I wouldn't be standing here," Hikari said as she sighed. "I would have been born fifty years ago and probably be as bitter as my mother. I wouldn't have you."

"You act like it's easy to live in your way," Sasuke said bitterly.

"It's not," Hikari said honestly. "But I don't like the idea of staring into a child's eyes and then killing his parents in front of him. You realise you're going to commit the crime that happened to you, right? You're going to put another child in your position. You're going to let them grow up with this intense hate. You are going to inflict the same darkness and _sadness_ that you've felt all of these years and you don't even care."

"I won't make the same mistake Itachi did," Sasuke said as he looked away from her. "No one will survive."

"Now you're being cruel!"

"You once said that you would stand by my side!" Sasuke yelled as he looked into her eyes again, his Sharingan reactivated. "But all I hear is the same lecture I've been given by all of those bastards in Konoha. You sound like them. You need to decide whose side you're on."

"Are you threatening me?" Hikari asked with a glare. "I am by your side, Sasuke! I'm trying to stop you from doing something you will regret forever! Think of the way your mind has been running for years. 'Revenge, revenge, revenge', how can you take out your anger on innocent people? How can you make them pay for their ancestors mistakes? How would you like it if ten years down the road someone kills your child because you fucked up? I swear, Sasuke, I will never forgive you!"

"My child?"

"What? You haven't thought about that? I have a feeling it might happen one of these days. You're such an asshole!" Hikari yelled. "You haven't planned that far ahead? Or are we not that serious?" Hikari glared at him. "You're dragging your family-name through the mud more than Itachi ever could have! You've been so _blinded_ by Madara that you can't even see I'm here! I love you, Sasuke, but it doesn't seem to be enough anymore! You've never listened to anything I've said to you, and you always get cold. I don't want to have to remember the way things used to be forever and I certainly don't want to be alone because you've gotten yourself killed!"

"I can't change for you, Hikari," Sasuke said quietly as he gazed into her eyes. "It's too late. I need to do this."

"For what?" Hikari asked as she shook her head. "It won't make you feel any better. You're destroying the only home you have…I just don't get why you want to destroy everything good about you. I don't understand, Sasuke."

"I need to do this so people understand!"

"They'll understand, alright," Hikari said with a bitter laugh. "That you're fucking insane!"

"Why are you saying this?" Sasuke asked her with a glare.

"Because," Hikari whispered. "I can't stand the idea of watching you die, or watching your sanity slip away. What happens if you forget who I am, Sasuke? What happened to what Itachi _died _for? I cannot see the logic in your plans at all; I know you're hurt, but there's a point where someone has to put their foot down and realise that all of this fighting isn't going to solve anything, it's just going to bring on more madness."

"It seems like I've underestimated your understanding of me. You don't know me at all," Sasuke said with a glare. Hikari bit her lip and looked away.

"But that's the worst part, Sasuke," Hikari whispered. "I do understand you. I know the hurt that you feel, and why you want to do all of this. I can see that the sorrow is breaking you down, but you're letting your hate control you. That's the problem, Sasuke. I know you_ too_ well. I don't want to watch you break all of your ties, because eventually you're going to break me."

"How could you not hate them for what they've done?" Sasuke asked in a strained tone. "How can you forgive them?"

"I can't," Hikari said as tears welled in her eyes. "But I have to. I want a family, Sasuke, an actual family. I want to have my own children; but, I would never want to raise them in the hell you're going to cause. Hate only brings more hate and I would never forgive myself if my child is killed for it. You once said it was your goal to revive your clan; well, perhaps you should at least think about that. If you keep on doing this to me, you might as well find somebody else."


	44. The Forty Fourth Passage

_**The Forty-Fourth Passage:**_

Shizuka was tired and weary from her travels. She had finally returned from rounding up one of the more powerful branches of her clan; in the beginning, a lot of Koizumi opposed her but in the end she revealed her identity to them and there was absolutely no question as to who was in charge.

After the initial scepticism had faded, she managed to rally them all together and reunite the broken branches she had collected to the branch clan-it wasn't that hard because a lot of the branches had felt so much pain when the Uchiha were obliterated. Many of them forgot their ties to the Senju at her requests; the ones who didn't were either forced to or killed. She had control over ever powerful leader; she was ready to return to the Akatsuki hideout so she could see her daughter and her lover. She would go back to her work and round up the last three branches after she had rested.

Shizuka had truly missed them both while she was away. However, despite missing them, she also worried and missed Midoriko; she hadn't heard anything from the girl since before Orochimaru was killed.

There was always one who was split off towards and Senju and she wondered just when Midoriko would betray Hikari for one of them.

…

"So? You're a Koizumi?"

"Yes, ma'am," Midoriko answered with a bow.

"Well, we've been out on a team-mate for a long time, so it's about time we had another," the woman said with a sigh as she shook Midoriko's hand. "Welcome to Team Asami."

"Thank you," Midoriko said with a bow.

"It is my understanding that you know Hikari," a boy said from behind her. Midoriko turned around and nodded at him. He had raven hair, amber eyes and a gentle smile.

"Yeah, she and I were pretty close," Midoriko said with a ghost of a smile on her face. "We have drifted, however."

"Does she really hate us?" Another boy asked as he looked up into Midoriko's eyes. The colour of his struck her; they were like the vast sky staring into her. She swallowed and then shook her head.

"Hikari was most likely trying to protect you if she said something like that," Midoriko said with a sad smile. "She pushes people away and tries to deal with everything herself because she doesn't want them to become her weaknesses."

"Friends are not weaknesses," the teen said bitterly.

"Unfortunately, they are where she is," Midoriko replied with a frown. "She even did her best to avoid Sasuke. She claims to hate him, but she was trying to push him away because she is afraid of getting hurt."

"You know that bastard?" the boy asked; his eyes churned until they looked like a storm coming in from a violent sea. She sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, I was an agent in Otogakure," Midoriko explained. "I ended up spending a lot of time with him when Orochimaru decided he wanted to keep a close eye on me through Sasuke." Midoriko noted to herself that she might want to have a chat with the blue-eyed boy; however, she knew it wasn't the time or place. She turned back to Asami with a friendly grin. "So, you were Hikari's sensei?"

"Yeah, I was," Asami said quietly. "However, I have trouble believing her hate towards me isn't real."

"Well, she never complained about you," Midoriko said with a shrug. "She only ever voiced how much she hated Sasuke to me. Sasuke was the reason Hikari left the Sound."

"If she hated Sasuke so much, why did she leave to chase after him, hmm?" the blue-eyed boy asked with a snarl. Midoriko turned to him with a confused and twisted expression.

"Hikari didn't leave Konoha because she wanted to be with Sasuke, she left because she would have been killed if she stayed. Tsunade-sama figured out who she was and planned on torturing her for information Hikari didn't know about her father. She left out of necessity."

"I heard you begged for Hikari's name to be taken from the Bingo Book," the amber-eyed boy added.

"I did and it didn't go over well," Midoriko said. "By the way, I don't know your names."

"I'm Hoshi," the amber eyed one said.

"Sora," the other said bitterly.

"I'm Midoriko Koizumi," Midoriko said with a small bow. "I swear I will try my hardest to become a member of this squad."

"Well, we should tell you something then," Asami said as she looked between her pupils. "We of Team Asami have a goal. Much like Team Kakashi, we want to save our comrade." Midoriko let out a genuine smile.

"That's truly nice to hear," she said as she closed her eyes. "I've been trying to save Hikari for years."

"HEY!" Midoriko blinked as she turned around and watched a blur of orange run towards her. As he got closer, she saw three others trailing behind him.

"May I help you, Uzumaki?" Midoriko asked with a tilt of her head. He stopped in front of her and then took a second to breathe.

"You said that you were a spy in Otogakure! Do you have any idea where Sasuke would be?"

"Well, probably with Hikari," Midoriko said with a shrug. "He has been very determined to find her for a long time. Now that his brother is out of the way, I don't doubt that he's taken her; why?"

"Well, where is Hikari?" Naruto asked.

"She could be anywhere," Midoriko answered with a shrug. "Her chakra is the North-West but from here I cannot pinpoint it's exact location. Why, though?"

"I was hoping I could find him…"

"Well, now that I focused a little on the topic, I'm sure he's with Hikari," Midoriko said with a shrug. "Their chakra signatures are very close to each other."

"You're a sensory-type?" a pink haired girl asked with wide eyes.

"And a highly advanced one at that," their sensei added.

"Yeah, I would have to get a lot closer to figure out where they are; I can barely feel their chakra. I just know the direction." Naruto sighed.

"By the way, this is Sakura, Sai and Kakashi," Naruto introduced. "Kakashi was Hikari's guardian."

"Is that so?" Midoriko asked as she looked at the silver-haired Jounin. "Do you still have her belongings?"

"The ones that she's left…I haven't gone through her room."

"That's good, she has a place to come back to," Midoriko said with a smile. "Never take that away. It's important to Koizumi to have a place of return."

"I wouldn't touch it…"

"Could I see it?" Midoriko asked with a pleasant smile.

"Sure," Kakashi said with a nod.

"I guess this means the squads are dismissed," Asami said with a smile as she walked towards Kakashi.

…

"So, this is where Hikari lived?" Midoriko asked herself as she looked around the room. There were some photos placed on the dresser, dust collecting on the glass. Midoriko leaned down and wiped one clean; it was a picture of Hikari and her squad. She noticed the startling difference between the current and past Sora. He seemed to happy and alive back then, but now he had large purple bags and the eyes of a worn-down soul. Everyone else looked more or less the same. She moved onto the next picture and smiled. Hikari's eyes were shining as she looked up into Sasuke's; he had a general frown on his face, though his cheeks were dusted pink. Hikari's arms were wrapped around Sasuke and Midoriko could see a life-time of happiness reflected in her eyes. It made her sad knowing that she had never seen Hikari that happy. She didn't know that Sasuke had been that important. The next picture was a picture of Hikari hugging Kakashi around his stomach and pressing her cheek against his torso. He looked normal save the fact that he wasn't wearing his vest. Despite having a mask on, Midoriko could see he was smiling.

"I can tell from these photos that Hikari could never hate you," Midoriko said as she looked up at Asami and Kakashi with a kind smile. "She's just too happy." Midoriko swiftly turned towards the mattress. "Now, to see if it's still here."

"What?" Kakashi asked.

"Evidence of Hikari's innocence," Midoriko said with a smirk as she moved the mattress, surely, underneath was a brown envelope. She opened it and found assignment sheets from Otogakure. "These are request sheets on Genin information…They're blank…"

"That doesn't mean that she wasn't going to fill them out," Asami said with a sigh.

"No, look," Midoriko said as she showed them the papers. Across the blank sections of each sheet read two words, 'fuck you'. Midoriko continued to look through the other papers and found a letter. "This is exactly what I need!" Asami practically snatched the letter from her hands and began to read aloud.

"'_Father, I have begun to realise that what I felt towards you all of these years was not admiration, but fear. Never send me another assignment; I'm done playing the bad guy. Find the Kyuubi on your own, but know that I will be standing in your way when you get here. If you so much as lay a hand on Sasuke or the Kyuubi, I'll kill you. –Hikari Koizumi. P.S-Good luck finding another Hebiko because I am no longer a shinobi of Otogakure. This is for my mother, you sick bastard._'"

"It even has her signature," Midoriko said with a smirk. "I am going to show my aunt this and try to clear her name. She cannot accuse Hikari of attempted murder, or espionage anymore!"

"You may be able to clear her of some of her past crimes, but not the present ones," Kakashi said.

"But the present ones are against her will," Midoriko said with a bright smile. "I've told you, Asami, I'm going to save Hikari."


	45. The Forty Fifth Passage

_**The Forty-Fifth Passage:**_

Determined aubergine eyes peered at the pale and smooth flesh of Sasuke's back. Her hands glowed blue and she could see his insides lighting up as she sent her blood through him. She was currently concentrating on helping Sasuke heal from his battle with Killer Bee. She had been making sure no chakra was blocked and all of his muscles were unknotted so he would be able to rest easier and heal faster. She didn't agree with his decisions for Konoha, but she wouldn't let that hold her back from helping it when he needed it.

Sasuke shuttered at the feeling of Hikari's fingertips gliding across his body when she lightly wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and sighed in content.

"Does it tire you out?"

Hikari wasn't really sure why he asked her; the way he said it didn't lead her to think he was curious and she couldn't really place the tone.

"Not really," she answered honestly as she looked at his upper arm that she absentmindedly traced circles with her fingertip on. "Only a bit of chakra in the blood and then I'm just controlling it. Usually I have to put a bit of effort into the healing, but it's really nothing."

She lightly kissed his shoulder; it was something that she undeniably loved about being with Sasuke, there were no limitations with him. She didn't have to worry that he wouldn't want her affection; she didn't have to ask with her eyes. She could make the first move, and it was something that she hadn't felt she had the freedom to do in a long time.

Sasuke turned back towards her with a faint smile and it thoroughly shocked her; she couldn't recall seeing him smile in three years. He leaned forwards and pressed a light kiss to her lips, which she returned with a smile of her own. Her heart exploded into some kind of hope for normalcy between them; however, she knew they were too much like another to not have arguments frequently. They were both incredibly stubborn and bent on their own thoughts and ideas of right and wrong; despite this, they had always managed to get through their relationship happy. Hikari just wondered if it would last.

Cursing herself for ruining the moment with negative thoughts, she pulled away from him and bit her lip, pouting.

"What's wrong?" he asked lightly.

"That smile, it shocked me," Hikari said as she averted her eyes. "We've been fighting a lot lately and I was wondering how long your kindness would last. I'm kind of pissed at myself for ruining the moment I could have shared with you."

"It's okay to think," Sasuke said with a quirked brow.

"We only fight so much because you're stubborn," Hikari said as she crossed her arms and looked away to her side, effectively reminding him of a ten-year-old.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked with a small smirk playing on his lips. Hikari sighed in defeat.

"Fine, we both are," Hikari admitted. She looked him in the eyes and then leaned forwards, planting a soft kiss on his jawline. Being the girl she was it was hard for her to ignore how handsome he had become. His jawline was set, yet he still held roundness to his face. His eyes were dark and mysterious, but they seemed to be less cautioned around her and she liked that they were less intimidating than usual. Hikari lifted a lock of raven hair that had fallen in its place over his forehead with a smirk stretching her lips. "I rather like this look. It frames your face better than when your hair was still trained to a headband." She brushed her fingers through his bangs and found that his hair was surprisingly soft and silky but it was also incredibly thick.

"Stop playing with my hair, Hikari," Sasuke said as he looked down at her. A soft chuckle rumbled from her chest and she let her hand fall to her lap. She suddenly flashed a kind smile at him before she closed her eyes and leaned into his chest. "What is it?"

"I feel like we're kids again…" Sasuke smirked and then before she had even blinked he was hovering over her. "You ruined the moment."

"Do you still feel like a kid?" he whispered in her ear.

"If I did, I would be a kid with serious issues," she said as she lifted her head and pressed her lips to his. "Kids should have a problem when other kids decide to crawl on top of them."

…

Hikari awoke with a jolt when someone harshly knocked on the door of the room. She looked beside her and noticed that Sasuke was gone. With a frown she stood.

"One moment, sheesh!" she yelled as she picked up her discarded clothing and pulled it on in a hurry. When the next set of rapid knocking came, she pulled her mesh shirt over her head and then promptly walked to the door, completely aware that her hair was a total mess. With a deep breath she twisted and jerked the handle. "What?"

"If you don't want to suffer some kind of punishment, you should open the door the _first_ time your mother knocks," Shizuka said, her words slipping out with an irritated glaze.

"Well, for one, I was asleep," Hikari argued, "and two, I was naked. So, if you would like, next time I will gladly open my door for god knows who and just let them take a nice peek." Her mother's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Come on, we have a lot to talk about," Shizuka said as she turned around and began to walk with her arms folded.

"Jesus, give me a second," Hikari huffed. "I've already had that talk!"

"Just meet me in the training room," Shizuka replied lazily. "You'll get there eventually."

Hikari let a heavy sigh slip from her lips as she looked at the empty spot where Sasuke had laid. She wished he was there with her, she could ignore her mother and continue sleeping; curled into his side. With a sigh she took off her mesh shirt and discarded it. She opened a small bag that she recognised at hers; it had been dropped into the room at some point and she had to assume either her mother or Madara who had done it. She took her standard 'Koizumi' training clothes from within the bag; if her mother had seen her in anything else, she would have made her turn around and change. She fondly recalled that her mother had always been a stickler for tradition.

Hikari pulled on the tight black pants and then the purple short-sleeved tunic that had the Koizumi crest threaded onto the back of it.

Despite what it was supposed to represent, Hikari had never thought that the symbol looked like a fountain. She didn't even know what it looked like, it just wasn't a fountain.

With a sigh she hooked the belt, which held her ninja pouch attached to it, around her waist and then dug into the bag to attain her hairbrush. She brushed through the knots carefully and then reached around to braid her hair, but then was hit with a sudden hollowness when she realised it was no longer long enough to braid. Her hair had always been braided when she fought Itachi, and she remembered the countless times he had caught her by it just to prove that it only inconvenienced her; but Hikari was stubborn. Without it, she felt like she had lost a piece of herself with Itachi-which was what she intended, but wasn't sure was the best idea anymore.

She chucked the brush back into the bag from where she stood and then attached her kunai holder to her thigh, along with her headband that had the long scratch etched into its surface; apart of her wished it wasn't the symbol of Otogakure that had been carved into it. As a final touch she put the bladeless hilt of a katana into her belt; the one that was especially made to create a wind-styled chakra blade. Next, she pulled on her purple ninja sandals.

When Hikari looked in the mirror, she didn't recognise herself; it was like staring at her mother, but younger. She had stripped away all individuality.

"_I am Hikari Koizumi_," she thought as she closed her eyes. Just too really prove that fact to herself, she threw in her own cynical humour. "_Previous goal-outfit for my father_." She studied herself and realised she couldn't see a speck of his features anywhere, no matter how much she tried. "_Perhaps I'm rotten on the inside_." With a sigh, she shook her head and turned for the exit of the room, walking across the bare space and swinging the door open to exit. Suigetsu had his hand raised to knock, and then looked her up and down.

"Is Sasuke here?"

"Why would he be?" Hikari hissed in a particularly foul mood that she had woken up and he was gone. Suigetsu did his infamous eyebrow wiggle.

"I heard all that noise." Hikari's cheeks heated as her eyes narrowed.

"I said he wasn't here, now beat it before I decide to do something terrible to you," Hikari said in a hostile tone. Suigetsu smirked as he put his hands up as if to surrender.

"I've been looking for him all morning, I figured I would check here," he said in a tone that made him seem carefree of her threat; it forced her to remember he got death-threats from Karin every day.

Hikari pushed past him and then headed for the training room after she had shut her door.

"If you see him, let him know I'm going to murder him and he knows why…"

"Sheesh…You're in a bad mood."

…

"Hmm, I didn't expect you to comply with my demands," Shizuka said as she circled Hikari like prey. "The tunic fits you perfectly. Now to test your knowledge, why do we wear these garments?"

"Because the clothes are infused with chakra and resistant to liquid; it makes it a lot harder to get your blood into someone. Extra precision with chakra is required and the clothes are used to train Koizumi together," Hikari said in a monotone. "However, they're terribly heavy."

Her mother made a scoffing noise and then settled in front of her, staring Hikari in the eye.

"Suck it up, little one." It was Hikari's turn to scoff; she hadn't been addressed as 'little one' since before her mother died.

"I'd prefer you just call me Hikari, I'm not so little anymore," she said with a sneer. Shizuka let out a sigh.

"Just as I suspected; Orochimaru did a terrible job raising you, rude and arrogant; two terrible traits to have. Listen well, _Hikari_ if you want to pass this training then you are going to have to admit you are not the strongest Koizumi," Shizuka said with a sneer with equal venom. "However, if you listen to your mother like a good little girl, you will unravel the secrets of our clan and master our most powerful jutsu."

"Look, _mom_, I kind of have a lot of issues with you," Hikari said with narrowed eyes. "Actually, they all revolve around you. Unfortunately, you've screwed up your entire life and now I'm paying for it while you're playing lap-dog with Madara." Shizuka narrowed her eyes and lazily lifted her index finger. Before Hikari could register what happen, her knees gave out and she was bowing to her mother. Shizuka approached her daughter as Hikari looked at her from a worm's eye view; the older woman suddenly seemed a lot more menacing, but what troubled Hikari is how her mother gained control.

"_Where was I cut?" _Hikari asked herself as she looked down at her body.

There was no wound.

Hikari looked up at Shizuka and searched for the crimson liquid coming from her own body.

There was no _blood_.


	46. The Forty Sixth Passage

_**The Forty-Sixth Passage:**_

Hikari wanted to throw something at the wall, but there was nothing to throw.

_"Well, training is up for the day, my __**lovely**__ daughter. I'll let you mull over what just happened."_

Hikari glared at the bed as a low hiss slipped from her lips.

_"If you can comprehend what happened by the same time tomorrow, I'll make you the best there ever was; but if not, I'll kill you."_

Her threat had been serious; Hikari had not seen a lie in the older woman's eyes. Hikari wanted to tear her hair out; she knew if Itachi was here, he'd know. However, he wasn't and she was at a total loss. She didn't have a clue.

"_Was it chakra_?" Hikari asked herself as she looked at her own hands. "_No, no, no! We need blood, but she wasn't using __any__!_"

Her skin crawled like it wasn't her own and all of her muscles were tense. She clenched and unclenched her fists as her mind worked frantically; she hadn't even heard the door open, but the muscles under the skin of her shoulders tensed more than ever when someone touched her. Before Hikari could stop herself she had turned and aimed a fist at the newcomer's jaw. She hit, but not his face. Sasuke had caught her fist midair with his palm. She looked at his face and he had a single brow raised. She yanked her fist away and let an aggravated groan leave her throat.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Releasing fury upon the unsuspecting," she said in a low hiss.

"I caught your fist…"

"You cheated," she said with a frown. "Do you want me to be killed, Sasuke?"

"Why?"

"That was not the reaction I expected," Hikari said with narrowed eyes. "Whatever, I'm a goner."

"I know you want to tell me," he said as he folded his arms.

"My mother is going to murder me unless I figure out the jutsu she used on me!" Hikari yelled. "She claimed it was Kekki Genkai."

"I'm guessing she did something you've never seen before?"

"Well, she controlled me, but not with blood. All she did was point at me. It was exactly like being controlled with blood, but without the blood!"

"Calm down," Sasuke demanded as he walked past her. "Getting yourself worked up will not make it clearer. Explain what happened." For a moment, Hikari felt like she had been thrown into her past; it was like Itachi had addressed her through Sasuke. She knew that's what the older Uchiha would have said to her.

"I-I went to train with Shizuka," Hikari said, stammering because she was still getting over the shock of how much Sasuke had reminded her of Itachi, "and I got mouthy. She attacked me with what I assume is 'the unravelled secrets of the Koizumi'."

"You said she pointed at you? Are you sure it wasn't a genjutsu?" Sasuke inquired as he sat down on the bed and put his hands behind his head.

"How can you look so relaxed! My life is on the line here!"

"You will be fine," Sasuke said with a sigh. "I doubt your mother would harm you."

"Then you don't have the slightest clue of what my mother is capable of."

"Why is it that you need to use your blood exactly?" Sasuke asked as he looked at the ceiling.

"It's for healing," Hikari said. "The antibodies, and antitoxins in it help repair damaged cells very quickly. Not to mention our chakra."

"Well, what if you didn't want to heal someone?" Sasuke asked as he looked towards her. "What if you just wanted to control them?"

"Well, I guess it's possible to use just chakra, but I'd be like a genjutsu without the genjutsu; if that makes sense," Hikari said as she raised her brow and crossed her arms to think the theory over. "It would be like using chakra to disrupt the flow of an opponent's and then take control of their brain. Taking away their physical movement and easily controlling them."

"Is it possible?" Sasuke asked.

"In theory, I've never tried it…" Hikari said with a frown. "The chakra control would be so difficult…"

"Not really," Sasuke said with a shrug. "I remember your gimmick at the Chuunin Exams. During the written test, you sent messages with blood, controlling the chakra. It's nothing you haven't done…"

"It's different though. The chakra has a container. It's like rolling an egg. The shell is my blood, the inside is my chakra. Without its shell, the egg whites and yolk go in every direction," Hikari said with a frown.

"All you have to learn is to keep it together without a shell," Sasuke said with a shrug.

"That's advanced," Hikari said with narrowed eyes. She crossed her arms and turned away from him. "My god, I hate how you act like such a know-it-all…" His arms slid around her waist before she even registered that he had got up from the bed. "Do you really think that's what she did?" Hikari asked quietly. "If I answer wrong-"

"What else could it be?" Sasuke asked impatiently.

"I don't know; something equally disgusting as blood?" Hikari asked with a frown. "However, if it is chakra, any Koizumi who can do this is exceedingly dangerous. All they have to do is focus on the person and they're caught." Hikari sighed and nodded her head. "I'd like to learn this before someone powerful shows up…" She looked over her shoulder at him and her features hardened. "Where were you this morning?"

"I went for a walk," Sasuke said with a raised brow.

"Wake me up next time, I don't like waking up and realising the person who was next to me is gone," Hikari uttered. "I automatically think really negative things…"

"Fine," Sasuke said as he kissed her shoulder. He turned around and then laid back down on the bed. Hikari sighed and looked down at him with a devilish glint in her eyes.

"Care for a spar?" He looked up at her with a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Sure."

"Let's go, my future puppet."

…

Hikari sighed as she turned her head and watched the wall of her room. She had gone all the way to the lake to bathe-because this facility sucked- and found herself lying in her bed afterwards without Sasuke. Itachi's death weighed heavy on her mind as she watched the wall, thinking of his sleeping face. She wondered if he was finally happy and treated like he deserved to be; a hero. Her mind reached into the memories she had locked away and released them all, drowning her in his touch, his smell, and his piercing gaze. A part of her wished he was here, lying next to her and stroking her hair, the way he had done when he thought she was asleep.

"Hikari?" She looked up at Sasuke and became aware of the tears rolling down her cheeks. "You're thinking about Itachi." She nodded and turned away from him.

"I suppose you're mad?" He didn't answer, so she hoped his silence meant he wasn't. "Do you think he's happy?" Again, he gave no answer. "Do you think he remembers me? Remembers any of us? If he could take the pain away in exchange for his memories, do you think he'd choose to forget about me?" Sasuke let out a sigh and walked over to her. He sat on the edge of the bed and she scooted over so he could lie next to her. He took off his shoes, shirt, and sash, placing them all on the floor in a neat pile. He lied down and she curled up next to him, letting his scent calm her. "A part of me still loves him…It's like a small throbbing always at the back of my mind. However, some days, it's more like a migraine." Hikari looked up into the Sharingan user's eyes. "I miss him, deeply. I'm not used to training with Shizuka and staying in one place. I'm not used to this," she said as she gestured to the both of them with her hand. "It makes me feel like I'm stabbing him the back because I ran to you so quickly," Hikari said with a frown. "But the entire time I was with him, I felt like I was driving a blade through your heart and twisting. I-…I'm just so lost." He wrapped an arm around her and held her close. He didn't say anything and it didn't surprise her; it wasn't in his way to do so.

"No one could ever forget about you, Hikari…" She closed her eyes and snuggled into his side. He pulled the blanket over her and watched as she drifted into a sleep. A part of Sasuke was jealous about how much she loved Itachi, but he also knew that there was no competition. Itachi was dead and Hikari was in his arms. However, a small voice reminded him that if Itachi were not dead, Hikari wouldn't have spared Sasuke a second glance. With a sigh, he let himself feel the small portion of anger. Instead of hurting her, he silently forgave Hikari and directed the negative energy towards his new goal; towards Konoha.

…

"So, your name is Sora, and you're Hoshi?" Midoriko asked as she looked between them. "Hikari talked about you as she told me about Konoha and her stay here."

"Can't say the same for you," Sora replied in a tone that struck Midoriko as hostile.

"Do you think Lady Tsunade will consider the information I turned into her?" Midoriko asked Hoshi.

"It's a possibility," he said as he closed his eyes. Midoriko looked back at Sora and then to Hoshi.

"May I spend some time with your brother, alone?" Hoshi raised his brow, and then shrugged. He walked away from them and then a smile spread on his face when he spotted someone. Without a second thought he promptly walked forwards and tapped on a brown-haired kunoichi's shoulder and walked away with her.

"What do you want?" Sora spit.

"To ask you why you hate her," Midoriko said as she looked him in the eye.

"That isn't your business," he returned, glowering at her. She sighed and then took a step closer to him.

"I just want to know because I can probably shed some light on the situation," Midoriko said with a shrug. "You probably have it backwards…" Sora snorted.

"Just fuck off."

"Okay. So, you're an asshole," Midoriko said as she raised her hands in defeat. "It doesn't surprise me that you're jealousy got the best of you." As Sora watched her walk away, he couldn't help but curl his fists into tight balls. He wanted to release his fury on something because she had struck true to the core.


	47. The Forty Seventh Passage

_**The Forty-Seventh Passage:**_

Hikari's eyes were locked with her mother's, her gaze fierce and determined; she briefly wondered if at some point down the line, Naruto had worn off on her, making her completely unwilling to give up on the events that frustrated her most. This was a battle for her pride, for her clan. This was for all of the years Hikari was in the dark, this was for the bitter betrayal. She narrowed her eyes when her mother put her hand on her hip and then lifted the other to signal Hikari to come forwards, using one finger and her voice to taunt the younger Koizumi.

"Won't you give me your answer, youngling?" Shizuka tormented her daughter with a cruel smirk. "Or would you prefer to expire?"

"Bitch," Hikari spat. "No wonder you're attracted to that maniac." Shizuka was not offended by her daughter's harsh words; in fact her smirk only grew.

"They are not that different," Shizuka whispered. "Madara and Sasuke." Her words slithered around Hikari like a rope threatening to ensnare her; her own mother was being the cruellest woman she knew.

"They are nothing alike!" Hikari hissed back. "I am _nothing_ like you!" Her words approached Shizuka like a warm embrace, but then burned her. If anything, Hikari pictured her mother like a frost-covered spring morning. All of the beautiful flowers frozen under a layer of due. Her life would shatter to pieces as cold hands snaked around her and took her deep into the winter's forest, hidden from the world and never to return. In contrast, Hikari pictured herself as a warm fall afternoon; little pieces of her life falling from the trees in an array of colours, but managing to light the paths of her loved ones in exchange. Shizuka didn't know the meaning of sacrifice.

"We are, more than you know," Shizuka said with a wry smile. "Now, tell me; what is your answer?"

"You attacked me using your chakra," Hikari said with a frown. "You used it just as you would blood, but without the shell." Shizuka's smile didn't fail.

"I will not kill you because you were _so _close to being correct."

"Then tell me!"

"Have you ever wondered how the Yamanaka were taught the Shintenshin no Jutsu?" Shizuka inquired.

"No…Why would I?" Hikari asked as she folded her arms.

"Because it was formed by studying the Koizumi," Shizuka said with a nostalgic smile. "They copied me."

"Is that so?" Hikari asked as she rolled her eyes.

"Yes. Part of our technique is to send our essence into someone else and control them. The Shintenshin no Jutsu was developed after studying me. They're really not the same at all through means of achieving, but the ending goal is the same, _control_. However, like they say, a copy is never as good as the original." Shizuka circled her daughter. "I was told that you've done it before, unknowingly while fighting Killer Bee." Before Hikari's eyes she saw water, and felt herself sinking again. The pressure from the water's weight, and the thought of losing Sasuke all rushed back to her. "It was triggered because you felt useless, weak, and most of all, you were afraid of losing Sasuke. That is especially important because this technique has a lot to do with the imagery of keeping things together, and becoming stronger to face the most terrifying adversaries." Shizuka stopped in front of Hikari. "At first, I was worried that a Jinchuuriken would be too much for you. However, like many times before, you have proved me wrong…" The two women stared at each other, and as Hikari took a closer look, she was surprised to see something they had in common; confliction, love, and devotion.

"_She said that Sasuke and Madara are alike, but how?_" Hikari asked herself as she looked back into her mother's pools of violet. The same loneliness was there, and the same doubt. Hikari swallowed and walked towards her mother, stopping only when she was standing a foot away. She bit her lip and tried to see deeper, anything she could relate to. "Do you ever feel doubt, mother?" Hikari whispered. "Do you ever feel like you're walking the thin line between what's right and wrong for him?" Shizuka sighed.

"Itachi Uchiha once told me that sacrifices are necessary in order to obtain peace," Shizuka said. "I sacrificed what I needed to. Soon, you're going to have to choose as well. Lingering in the middle got me nowhere; do not make the same mistake as I…"

"Same mistake?" Hikari asked as she tilted her head.

"My relationship with Madara has been anything but perfect," Shizuka said with a sigh as she crossed her arms. "We used to see who could inflict the most damage. We would want revenge on each other and use cruel words to inflict emotional pain. We desperately loved each other but there was also a sick hatred between us. However, this fuelled the desire. We couldn't get enough of each other." Hikari's eyes widened when she realised that her mother had not been lying when she said that they were similar.

"_It's exactly the same! The kind of relationship Sasuke and I have is exactly like what she described!_"

"We are alike, Hikari," Shizuka said as she touched her daughter's shoulder. "And they're alike. You're going to have to choose a side and live with it."

"Do you regret living with yours?" Hikari asked her quietly. Shizuka smiled but did not answer her daughter.

"I believe I should begin to train you," she said as she stretched. "You're lucky Itachi decided that wind should be your secondary element."

"Why?" Hikari asked.

"Because I have mastered wind, it is also my secondary element."

…

Sora could not help but watch Midoriko closely. He didn't trust her knowing smile or her friendly gaze. He didn't like anything about her; not the way her hair swayed when she walked, or the way her eyes lit up when she saw something she liked. He noticed that she was particularly fond of love, or more correctly, seeing other people in love. She would wear a small smile when she glanced upon intertwined hands. However, despite liking to see others happy there was a bitter jealousy hidden in her eyes. The way she looked at roses or other symbols of love gave her away. Her eyes were cold and calculating.

"Sora, what are you doing?"

"Hanako, shouldn't you be at home?" he addressed his little sister with a raised brow.

"I'm coming home from the academy," she said with an exaggerated sigh. "Sora, if you like that girl so much why don't you ask her out?"

"Excuse me?"

"You're always following her, ever since she joined your team," Hanako said with a shrug.

"Look, she is new and I don't trust her," Sora said as he crossed his arms. Hanako gently smiled.

"I think you like her, Sora. Your gaze is dreamy when you stalk her."

"Stalk her? I do not!" Sora yelled as his cheeks reddened. Hanako sighed and began to walk away from him.

"I think it's time you got over that other girl; the pretty one. I think the one you've been following is much more suited for you."

"What do you know?" Sora barked. "You're six!"

"Pfft, please," Hanako said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm at the top of my class, Sora. I am also a girl. I _know_ these things."

"Oh, just bug off, Hana…"

His sister walked away with a skip in her step and an innocent smile on her face. Sora frowned as he looked towards Midoriko again, but she had disappeared.

…

"Come on, Hikari!" Shizuka said in a frustrated tone. "You have to be able to get this without touching the person! We're trying to eliminate the use of physical contact!"

"I just can't get the hang of it," Hikari said with a frown. "I'm not used to forcing chakra through my skin."

"Alright, we're done for the day, but I want you to practice…"

"Fine," Hikari groaned as she walked towards the exit of the training room.

…

"Uzumaki-kun, are you okay?" Midoriko asked with a frown. Naruto looked up at her with a saddened expression. "I heard about Lord Jaraiya."

"I'll be fine," Naruto answered quietly.

"Reflecting on all of my happy memories with my deceased masters helped me get through the pain," Midoriko said with a small smile. "It was hard when Shizuka-san died and Shiori-san went missing. However, remembering all of the good things they taught me helped me move on." Naruto looked at her with a nod. "I just wonder how Hikari-chan is doing," Midoriko spoke her thoughts aloud. "It must have been hard for her to lose Itachi…"

"Itachi was evil," Naruto said with an unusual frown on his face.

"Even so, she loved him," Midoriko said with a shrug. "We don't choose who we love, Uzumaki-kun."

"You can call me Naruto," he said as he looked into her green eyes.

"Thank you, I'm honoured, Naruto-kun," she said with a kind smile. "You'll get through this. Everyone has their time, and Jaraiya risked everything to send you the information he found out. One day you will surpass even him and become Hokage, and then you will die of old age and your students will mourn your death. It's natural."

"It's funny to hear someone who lived with Orochimaru, for a large portion of their life, speak so positively about death."

"Not everyone wants to be immortal," Midoriko said with a shrug. "What would be the point of living if you don't die? What would be the point of feeling, loving and making bonds only to watch it all slip away? I myself want to die when I am old and have had my fun. I think Jaraiya would have wanted the same thing, but the question is, Naruto-kun, do you think he had his fun?" Naruto didn't answer her for a long time, but slowly a small smile spread on his lips.

"Yeah…I think he might have."

…

"This is so hopeless!" Hikari complained as she walked into the room she stayed in. She knew Sasuke was inside; it actually kind of amused her that he ignored his own quarters and stayed in hers. Sasuke looked up at her from the bed with a dull expression. "I just can't get the hang of this essence thing…" She sighed and sat down in a chair that went to the desk in front of her. "I've never struggled so much with a jutsu. I've always been quick to learn and I cannot believe it's my own Kekki Genkai that I'm failing at…"

"Try it on me," Sasuke suggested.

"What's the point? It won't work," she snapped. "I just can't get the hang of it. I can't force my chakra out of my skin without is dispersing. If I touch someone it works, but other than that I can't get it…"

"Well, come on, we have to go…"

"Go where?" Hikari asked with a frown.

"To Konoha, it's time," Sasuke said with a frown. "Taka is waiting for us in a small base."

"I guess I'm just supposed to go without completing my training then," Hikari said with a sigh. She remembered her mother telling her to practice and suddenly realised why. "Great. I have to figure out most of this technique on my own…"


	48. The Forty Eighth Passage

_**The Forty-Eighth Passage:**_

"Man, you're so useless," Suigetsu said. "How in the hell could you leave my blade behind?"

"Shut the fuck up, Suigetsu!" Karin yelled. "Just be glad we didn't leave your sorry ass behind!"

"You're one to talk, if I remember correctly you were knocked out too, Karin!"

Hikari began to twitch as she opened her eyes and looked directly at both of them.

"Shut up!" she yelled. "You two are ruining my concentration! If you keep on fucking with me, I'll bring the roof down on your heads!"

"You were both out cold because you were protecting each other," Jugo said. It was quite a shock to Hikari when she saw him again. She expected anything but a man in a child's body. Hikari grumbled to herself and then returned to fiercely staring at a pile of rubble and trying to force her chakra into it.

"Shizuka told you it would be harder to manipulate people," Sasuke said as he looked at her. "You can't even move a rock."

"Shut the fuck up!" Hikari yelled with a glare directed at him. "I need to master basics first."

"When do you think we will gain the power of the Bijuu?" Suigetsu asked.

"Who knows?" Sasuke responded.

"Try never. Madara is greedy as hell. He will not give a tailed beast up. You guys got played," Hikari snarled. She took and deep breath and turned around, trying to concentrate again, but became distracted by the sound of a cup falling. She looked at Sasuke with a raised brow; he had knocked it over and his eyes were very wide.

"What's wrong, Sasuke?" Karin asked. Sasuke covered his eye.

"It's nothing…"

"_The Mangekyou has already begun to take its toll?_" Hikari asked herself. "_He has only had it for a short period and he is already having troubles. This is bad…_" Before Hikari could approach Sasuke, Karin gasped.

"What's wrong, Karin?" Jugo asked.

"Someone's chakra is coming from outside," she answered quietly.

"Any idea who?" Hikari asked as she stretched. "Sasuke, if I can't learn how to direct my chakra at someone, you need to teach me how to be really fast so I don't have to worry about not being able to touch someone." Sasuke ignored her and looked at Karin, Hikari looked towards her too, curious for an answer. Hikari began to turn around to speak to Sasuke again, but he was gone. "What the?" She looked towards where Jugo was and he was gone too. "They ditched me with you two…great."

…

"It's such a nice day, Hayate-kun," Midoriko said with a small smile as she looked at Hoshi.

"It is; say, have you seen my brother?" Hoshi asked as he looked around. "I've been keeping a close eye on him lately."

"I haven't today," Midoriko said with a shrug. "But he will show up soon enough. He likes to follow me around."

"Does he?" Hoshi asked with a raised brow.

"It's not anything serious, he just doesn't trust me," Midoriko said with a shrug.

"Hey, stop talking about me!"

Midoriko and Hoshi turned around and watched as Sora arrived with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"It's nice of you to arrive on time," Hoshi said sarcastically. "Look, I know you're not happy about replacing Hikari, but seriously, being twenty minutes late for group training every day since Koizumi-san has gotten here? It's ridiculous, Sora. She's been here for three months now…You need to get over it."

"Oh, shut up, tight-ass," Sora drawled as he shoved his hands behind his head and began to walk with them. "I was only late because I had to deal with a certain side effect." Hoshi glanced at Sora.

"It's your own fault," he reminded. "You should have never trusted that freak."

"It's not like I knew what he was going to do to me," Sora countered. "Besides, he brainwashed me. We both know I woke up feeling terrible."

"I understand," Midoriko said as she looked at Sora.

"Would you stop? I can't stand your cryptic looks," Sora said with narrowed eyes.

"You have been cursed, that's why Hikari didn't want me to kill you…At first I thought she was trying to save your life, but it looks like she was trying to save her own…"

"So, what was the side effect?" Hoshi asked as he glanced at his brother.

"Vomiting…"

"Gross," Midoriko uttered. "I wonder what got to Hikari. It's unusual for her to have an upset stomach; her immune system is very strong."

"Whatever it was, it was bad," Sora said with a frown. "I couldn't stop and I felt utterly terrified."

"Interesting," Midoriko said with a shrug. "She probably saw something gory then. Shall we head off to spar?"

"Yeah, it's probably for the-" Hoshi was cut off when a loud crash echoed throughout the city and the ground began to shake. Midoriko looked up from the ground and then at Sora.

"Stay behind," she ordered. "If you die, Hikari dies. Do you understand me? I have a really bad feeling about this…" More explosions went off and Midoriko nodded.

"Hoshi, go to the intelligence corps," she commanded.

"Yes, that's a good idea," he agreed as he disappeared.

"Sora, do not move from this spot. I'm going to see if anyone needs medical assistance. I know you don't trust me, but think about Hikari. You owe her. Don't move." Sora didn't have time to reply before she leapt off into the trees and towards the city. He watched her go with longing eyes, somehow, he knew that if she went into that battle she would die, and he suddenly couldn't let her do that. He began to run after her.

…

"Haruno-san!" The pink haired Kunoichi turned around.

"Midoriko?"

"My god, this building," Midoriko said as she frowned. "I'll use my Ninjutsu to lift the rubble, get as many people out from under it; we'll bring them to the hospital."

"Yeah, let's go," Sakura said with a nod. Midoriko did handsigns and then wood began to shoot out from the ground and lift the rubble. Sakura ran under, checking pulses and then grabbing people who were still alive.

"Quick! The wood is splitting!" Midoriko yelled. Sakura nodded and grabbed two other people and ran out from the rubble; managing to carry four people on her shoulders. Midoriko went to her and took two of them. "Let's go. They could probably use our help at the hospital."

"I was on my way there. Are you a medical ninja?"

"Yes, I specialise in emergency situations outside of facilities," Midoriko said as she looked at Sakura. "I'm Tsunade-sama's niece. I think it might run in my blood."

…

When Midoriko and Sakura arrived at the hospital they ran into Chouji.

"Chouji!" Sakura said.

"I brought you pills," Chouji said as he held up the bag.

"An Akimichi?" Midoriko asked. "That will come in handy."

"Thank you," Sakura said as she began to run back inside. Midoriko and Chouji followed her.

"Haruno-san, I'm going back out to try and find more people who need assistance," Midoriko informed. "I know they're people out there. I can also help them enough to get them here."

"Go, Midoriko," Sakura said with a nod. Midoriko turned and ran out of the hospital, heading for what looked to be the area of the city that sustained the most damage. Midoriko smiled when she realised that she would be helping people, instead of using her skills to finish them off. For the first time in years, she felt like a true medical ninja; she just wished it didn't have to be like this. Her mind wondered to Hikari and then to Sora. She started to look for his chakra, but a frown appeared on her face. He was no longer where she left him; in fact, he was in harm's way.

"Hikari!"

…

Midoriko's eyes shined with fear, as she took a hesitant step back.

"Where is Uzumaki Naruto?"

She rearranged her face in determination.

"Get back, now!" she demanded. The man took another step closer. His hair was bright orange, and his eyes were a piercing grey, not to mention they were ringed. He was taller than her and his face was littered with piercings. The man narrowed his eyes and Midoriko began to panic when her feet lifted from the ground as she hovered towards him. "_I can't move my body!_"

"I will repeat myself; where is Uzumaki Naruto? Is he in the village?"

"I have nothing to say to you," Midoriko spat. He narrowed his eyes.

"Well, I guess your time has come to an end," he said as a medal rod slipped out of his sleeve. He pressed it against her neck. She sucked in air and prepared herself to die. "Where is he?" A chakra buzzed on her radar and she recognised it as Sora; he was coming her way. Midoriko sighed and held her head in shame.

"He left the village," she said in a tone just above a whisper.

"Where has he gone?"

"To Sunagakure; he has gone to visit the Kazekage," Midoriko replied as she looked around, trying to make her lie convincing.

"I don't believe you," he said as he narrowed his eyes and thrust the metal rod forwards. Midoriko gasped as he impaled it through her throat. She immediately used her chakra to create a barrier around the wound; but even with that, she would die if someone didn't show up. Sora ran out from behind the Akatsuki member and threw his fist forwards; however, he bounced off of a non-existent shield and flew backwards. The Akatsuki member let Midoriko go and looked towards Sora, evaluating him. Midoriko coughed as she yanked the rod from her neck and concentrated on healing the wound, but blood began to gush. It wasn't like stopping the blood flow to a cut; there was a hole in her throat. She closed her eyes and focused on healing the initial entrance and exit wounds to at least keep her blood inside of her body. She would pour all of her chakra into saving her own life. She wished she could yell for Sora to run, but she couldn't.

"Don't come any closer!" Sora yelled. "Or one of your members will die! I am linked with Hikari Koizumi by this curse!" Sora yelled as he ripped off his glove and showed the enemy his hand. "If I die, she dies!" The man simply turned away from Sora and looked at Midoriko. He walked slowly towards her and picked her up again, making her gasp and blood splutter out of her mouth. "P-Put her down!" Sora yelled as he shoved his hand into his pants pocket. "Put her down, or I will slit my throat right here!"

"Hikari Koizumi is expendable…"

"She is not…" Midoriko said as she winced. "You and I both know that she isn't, so put me down, now." Blood leaked from her mouth and dripped onto the ground.

"Where is Naruto Uzumaki?" Midoriko spit in his face and he frowned as he threw her. She did many flips in the air and then collided with the ground. Several snaps sounded as she tumbled and she knew she had at least broken eight bones.

"Koizumi-san!" She opened her eyes and frowned.

"Get away, Umino-san," Midoriko croaked. Iruka looked up and his eyes widened when he saw the Akatsuki member step towards him. Midoriko coughed up more blood, but still put most of her energy towards trying to heal her injury.

"Where is Uzumaki Naruto?"

"I won't say a word," Iruka said in a determined voice.

"Then I don't have a use for either of you…" The metal rod slipped from his cloak again; it was still covered in Midoriko's blood. She closed her eyes and bit her lip.

"You've created quite a loud diversion so you can investigate from the shadows…"

"Hatake…"

"Please take the wounded away from here," Kakashi said.

"Yes!" Iruka said as he picked up the man he had been trying to help and then slung Midoriko over his shoulder.

"Sora…" she said as her eyes began to slip closed. "Sora…"

…

Hikari tried to breathe evenly.

"Already?" she asked herself as she looked into the mirror. Tears welled in her eyes. "This cannot be happening now!" She grabbed her shirt and pulled on it, as if it was constricting her breathing. She tried to take deep breaths and calm herself. "I can't go to Konoha like this- It's…" She trailed off and began to hysterically cry as she threw the object in her hand forcibly into the trash bin next to the sink. "It's only been four months since he died, how can this- Why? Why did I let him get so close to me?" Hikari closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. "I can get through this…" She slid her hand across her abdomen. "I have to."

So, I have lowered my chapter release amount because I have been very busy and not been able to write much. I only have fifty-two chapters written, so until I am caught up, I have to release one a week. Sorry :(


	49. The Forty Ninth Passage

_**The Forty-Ninth Passage:**_

"_I have always hated Otogakure…I want to go back home, Shizuka-sama…"_

"_You said that you wanted to help Hikari; have you changed your mind, Midoriko?"_

"_I have not, but I wish I could bring her back to Konoha with me…I think she would like it there," Midoriko said as she looked out into the forest. "It's home." _

"_It is also my home, Midoriko," Shizuka said as she crossed her arms, "but sometimes, we sacrifice the places and things we love for the people we love." _

"_I'll go back there one day," Midoriko said with a confident smile as she turned around and gave her master the peace sign, "and I will bring Hikari-chan with me!" Shizuka smiled fondly at her student. _

"_Do you know why you don't fit among the Koizumi clan? Why you aren't like us?" _

"_No…what's that got to do with anything?" _

"_Your Senju side shines…remember that, Midoriko. Konoha is where you belong…"_

"_It's where Hikari belongs too!" Midoriko said with a smirk. "I'm tired of all this Uchiha verses Senju stuff! We're all the same people, Shizuka-sama! We all share the same blood and beginning! Why do we fight so much? It's not right, we're kin…" _

"_I suppose you're right, but one day, you will have to make a decision; whatever side you choose will remain with you for life."_

"_Then I won't choose a side! I will choose what's right!" _

Midoriko closed her eyes, exhaustion getting the better of her as she looked at the ceiling of the hospital.

"_I guess I never got that far, did I, Shizuka-sama?_"

…

"Midoriko! Midoriko! Come on, wake up…" Midoriko winced when light began to seep between the cracks of her eyelids. She opened them slowly and a person's face came into view. "You're okay."

"Are you hurt, Sora-kun?" she asked as she lightly touched his hand.

"No, I'm not, but you were; you died, Midoriko," Sora said with a frown, "right in front of me. I didn't know what to do. But then, Uzumaki did something and Pein brought the entire village back."

"What about my aunt? Where is Tsunade?" Midoriko asked quietly as she sat up and looked around. She was lying on the ground with her team surrounding her.

"She is in a comatose state. She used Katsuyu to help all the villagers and she used all of her stored chakra. They're talking about picking a new Hokage…" Asami answered quietly. Asami put her hands on Midoriko's shoulders to steady her. "You really had a number done on you by Pein."

"Yeah, I did. I knew I was no match anyways. I wasn't expecting any less. You weren't hurt, were you Sora?" Midoriko asked.

"No, I was protected. Hikari should be fine," Sora said with a frown.

"That's good to hear…" Midoriko said as she looked to her side. The village, nothing was left. "_Whose side should I choose, Lady Shizuka?_" Her eyes scanned the pure destruction. "_The village…the Akatsuki did this and she's a part of them. How can I protect her and help this place at the same time_?"

…

Hikari sighed as she walked behind the shinobi group, Taka. She felt out of place, like she didn't belong there; like she didn't belong with _him_. Sasuke had changed since he learned the truth; the more she saw the more she began to question her feelings for him.

"_You used to be someone I knew_," Hikari thought as she looked at his back; the Uchiha symbol was there. He had only changed a little physically, but he was so corrupted on the inside. She hesitantly touched her stomach and looked at Sasuke with sad eyes. "_I wonder if this is how my mother felt. Did she wonder if I'd be just like Orochimaru? Did she fear me before I was born, before she knew me? Did she want me? But it's not the same situation at all, really. She could have gotten rid of me; she didn't love Orochimaru at all. But I…I couldn't do that to Sasuke. No matter how much I fear him, fear for him._" Hikari sighed and let her hand fall to her side. She could picture the old Sasuke, the person she had fell in love with; his smirk, his smile, his frown. She could feel his embrace and she missed it. She missed Sasuke so much even though he was six feet in front of her; even though he held her throughout her nights.

Hikari looked at Taka, really looked at them.

"_Suigetsu, Jugo, Karin…how long will you last before you usefulness has expired? How long will I last?_"

In her mind she saw squad six; Asami, Hoshi, and Sora. They all smiled at her and beckoned her forwards. However, she couldn't move because not only did Sasuke hold her by her shoulders, but by her heart too. She wanted to help him, she wanted to save him. Hikari wanted to fulfil what Itachi said she could do; she wanted to be Sasuke's light. "_Is it possible to provide light to someone who isn't blind, but shut their eyes? Will he find his way home, or just give up and submit himself to the darkness?_" She looked at the Uchiha symbol again and then averted her eyes. She didn't know how she would tell him. She didn't know how long she could hold on like this.

…

"_Itachi, have you ever had to keep a secret?" Hikari looked into his ruby-eyes without hesitation as a light smile lifted the corners of her lips. "Something you were afraid of telling?" The fallen Uchiha did not answer her question, instead he took her hand. _

"_I wonder if things would have been different if I hadn't left Sasuke alone in Otogakure. Would he be like he is now, bitter and cold? Do you think I could have changed that?" Again, Itachi did not answer her. "I am so afraid, Itachi. I'm afraid of him and I'm afraid for him. Sometimes, I just wish it would all be over. Would it be so bad, Itachi? What's it like to die?" Itachi looked directly into Hikari's aubergine-eyes and hesitantly lifted his hand to touch her abdomen. _

"_It's too late for that, Hikari…"_

Hikari opened her eyes and shuttered. The dream had felt so real; it was like a fresh memory burned into her skull. She bit her lip and then looked at Sasuke. She knew she had been looking for ways out of the mess she was in, but she had never considered suicide as one of them. In that dream, it screamed out at her. It frightened her. Itachi was right, it was too late to do anything like that; her body was no longer just hers.

Hikari looked at Sasuke's face again and, in a moment of clarity, realised he looked similar to Itachi when he slept; he looked haunted and troubled.

Hikari sighed and sat up, resting her back against the headboard of the bed. She wanted to tell Sasuke, but didn't know how; she couldn't anticipate his reaction. He had always wanted to restore his clan, but would he want that to happen so soon and with her?

Hikari sucked air into her lungs and then let out a heavy sigh, trying to weigh the pros and cons.

She knew on the one hand, this baby could turn Sasuke around. The child could make him realise the wrong of his ways. He might see the type of future the child would need. However, she knew on the other hand, he might be angry that she was pregnant. He might have wanted to choose someone else to marry and have children with. He might not want to have children with someone who had slept with his brother so easily. She also knew that the child might fuel his anger. He might see all the hardships they will have to face and decide that his plans are the right thing to do for his child. He might see every single crime that had been committed against the Uchiha in their eyes.

Hikari briefly wondered if her child would grow up to be like Sasuke and it worried her. What if her child grew up hating Konoha? What if they grew up hating the world? What if they had to pay for Sasuke's mistakes like Hikari had predicted?

Before Hikari could make up her mind about the incident, she felt a smooth-skinned palm run along her arm. She looked towards Sasuke and smiled hesitantly; she was good at faking happiness for him.

"What's wrong, Hikari?"

He always saw through it.

Hikari bit her lip and looked away from him. Her doubt had increased tenfold; she didn't know what to say. Her stomach started flipping and her thoughts began to swim for shallow waters. In the end, she wanted to keep everything to herself; however, when he tilted her chin and looked deep into her eyes, she couldn't.

"Sasuke…I…"

Tears began to leak out of her eyes and she gripped the blankets in her hands until her skin appeared white. His eyes, they were a concerned obsidian abyss; back in the far reaches of them she could see all of his _anger_.

"I'm pregnant."


	50. The Fiftieth Passage

_**The Fiftieth Passage:**_

Hikari's eyes rimmed with tears and they glossed over a sea of violet tides. Sasuke's arms wound around her and held her tightly to him. She didn't know what to expect from him, but now that she had told him, she was glad; she had never seen him so _happy_.

It was such a small hope she held onto inside; a small hope that he would turn away from his selected path and choose her.

It died as if a cold frost suddenly consumed her; withering until there was nothing left.

"I'll make sure nothing happens to you when it comes to an end," he whispered into her ear.

Her heart sank; the feeling was far worse than any abuse she had ever sustained. The pain, the ache, and the torment that tugged at her heart; this time it would last. It stuck in her throat and she tried hard to supress tears. "I know you're afraid. I won't let anything happen to you." All she could do was nod in response as he nuzzled into the junction of her collarbone and neck.

She wanted the pain he caused to disappear. He was going to murder her friends and family and there was nothing she could do; he had finally killed her hope. She hated herself because she could do nothing but love him; she wouldn't be able to save them.

He mistook her tears for happiness.

…

"He's done what!" Midoriko demanded with a scowl.

"He's declared Sasuke Uchiha and Hikari Koizumi as rouge shinobi! He's given the approval for them to be hunted down and killed!" Before Midoriko let the brown-haired man on the back of the giant dog speak more, she ran to her Aunt's tent. In front of the tent, two Cloud shinobi stood. She ran past them and into tent.

"Lord Hokage!" Midoriko yelled. "I have proof that Hikari Koizumi was never a threat to Konoha!" An old man with a cane turned around and looked at her sceptically. Midoriko sucked in air and pulled a brown envelope from her clothing. "This was taken from Hikari's old living space. It proves she didn't work for her father!" The man named Danzo took the documents and read it over; the same documents Midoriko had retrieved from under Hikari's bed.

"This proves nothing in the present time. Hikari Koizumi is partially responsible for the capture of the Hachibi from the Village Hidden among the Clouds. She also partook in the capture of the Ichibi from the Village Hidden in the Sand and the Yonbi from the Hidden Village of Stone. She is an Akatsuki member."

"She is being forced to do all of this," Midoriko demanded. "There is a curse set on her; an ancient one. She has to do anything the Uchiha tell her to do; this includes Sasuke!"

"You have no evidence. Even if this was the truth, if Hikari Koizumi was a proper lead-shinobi, she would rather die than aid the Akatsuki. Leave me be; she will not be excused for her crimes," Danzo said harshly. "She will pay with her life."

…

"Sasuke."

Hikari came to an abrupt stop along with the rest of the group.

"What bad timing…" Suigetsu said.

"How did you know where to find me?" Sasuke demanded.

"Don't underestimate me. I have considerable powers," Madara explained without really saying anything meaningful.

"What do you want with me now? Taka left the Akatsuki; we're done with you," Sasuke said as he narrowed his eyes.

"I've come for two reasons. The first being that Hikari is a part of the Akatsuki," Madara stated.

"She stays," Sasuke demanded. "I still have use for her."

"What do I look like, a tool?" Hikari barked. "I am so sick of this. I am a person; you two have to realise this by now. I'm not a weapon you can toss back and forth. For crying out loud…" Hikari continued to grumble angrily to herself.

"Secondly, you renegaded on your promise to me," Madara claimed.

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke hissed as he clenched his fists.

"I'm talking about hunting the tailed beast."

"We caught the Hachibi and delivered it to you," Karin argued with a glare.

"It was just a substitution…"

"You have to be kidding me," Hikari said as her brow twitched and she turned to Sasuke. "You didn't check! My god! It's like you need to take tailed-beast 101…"

"In other words, you guys failed," Madara said simply. Hikari gave an exasperated sigh and earned a scowl from Sasuke. "The Hachibi pulled a fast one on you." Hikari frowned and crossed her arms. "Frankly, I'm disappointed in you all…"

"Seriously, what did I do? I wasn't the one who brought back a clone…"

"You will finish the work you started," Madara ordered. Hikari's palm burned and fear spiked in her gut; she had no idea how the curse would affect her unborn child. She glanced at her stomach nervously.

"Alright," she said with a shrug; she was desperately hoping Madara would believe her sincerity and let the curse stop. She sighed with relief when she felt the searing pain dissipate.

"You can forget about the Hachibi…I have decided upon a new task for your team," Madara said.

"And if I refuse?" Sasuke asked with a glare; he didn't like the fact that Madara thought he could intervene whenever he liked.

"We'll figure it out right here."

"He means he is going to beat you within an inch of your life," Hikari drawled. "You should listen."

"You won't be able to go to Konoha," Madara said; his tone was ever so lightly threatening. Sasuke launched himself forwards with a Chidori in his hand. Madara was completely unfazed as Sasuke went right through him.

"It's little too late for Konoha," Madara said calmly. Hikari's eyes widened. "Your purpose is fruitless; too bad."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked as he stood from the tree branch he had landed on.

"Konoha is no more." Hikari's heart stopped and Sasuke's eyes widened.

"What are you saying?" Karin asked with a frown creasing her face as well.

Zetsu began to rise out of the tree branch next to Madara's feet.

"I'll explain it to you," Zetsu's dark half said. Karin gasped and took a step back.

"Who is he?"

"Relax, he is my partner," Madara said in his usual smooth tones.

"So, who is the new Hokage?" Madara asked Zetsu.

"Someone named Danzo," Zetsu replied. Hikari narrowed her eyes.

"It's as we expected…"

"Where is Kameyo?" Hikari asked as she looked up at him.

"She is gathering and preparing the Koizumi," Madara responded. "She is safe, do not worry."

"That isn't why I asked," Hikari uttered. "_I wanted to know if she had anything to do with this…_"

"And Midoriko?"

"She survived the attack on Konoha," Zetsu informed.

"Konoha?" Hikari asked with widened eyes. "She is there?"

"It turns out that she was a planted spy in Otogakure, under the orders of the Third Hokage. She was the main source of Jaraiya's information," Zetsu replied.

"Danzo…he's the Hokage?" Sasuke asked as he turned towards Madara.

"Yes," Madara answered in return, but didn't turn around to face the younger Uchiha. "He is one of the high-ranking elders in Konoha who drove your brother into his situation." Hikari bit her lip and looked at Sasuke; she knew this was a terrible change of fate, but she wondered if Madara had orchestrated it so that Sasuke would get rid of Danzo for him. Whatever the answer was, she knew that it would force Sasuke to take a turn for the worse.

"What the hell happened to Konoha?" Sasuke demanded.

"I would like to know as well, _Madara_," Hikari said in an accusing tone as she put her hands on her hips. "This all sounds a little convenient if you ask me."

"Silence, Hikari," Madara demanded; she didn't even give a second thought to the command. "My subordinate, Pein, destroyed the village. It seems that because both Taka and Pein were overbearing, the Kage are going to get together and do something." Hikari was relieved that the mark had stopped.

"Great, we're international criminals," Hikari said with a sigh. "I was trying to avoid that."

"You were recently added to Ho no Kuni's Bingo-Book, Hikari," Madara said as he looked at her, "as well as many other Nations including Kaze no Kuni. They suspect that you're the reincarnation of Kameyo Koizumi…in reality, they're not that far off."

"That makes things even better," she hissed.

"There will be a five Kage summit conference," Madara said as he looked back at Sasuke.

"I will explain from here," Zetsu said.

…

"Naruto?" Suigetsu said with a raised brow. "This guy named Naruto defeated Pein all by himself?"

"That really doesn't surprise me," Hikari said as she massaged her temples.

"That's right, he had become extremely strong," Zetsu said. "I think he's stronger than Sasuke right now…" Hikari lifted her head in a split-second to study the Uchiha's reaction; she remembered their rivalry all too well and she wasn't sure if what Zetsu said would set Sasuke off. She was utterly shocked to see a smirk cross Sasuke's features, not to mention one that made her heart beat speed up; she had almost forgot that Sasuke was completely egotistical when it came to Naruto. He _wouldn't_ believe that Naruto could be stronger than him.

"I don't care about that," Sasuke said as he looked at Madara. "My main concern is the Kage summit."

"What are we going to do?" Suigetsu asked. "Konoha is destroyed."

"Isn't it obvious?" Hikari hissed. "We're going after the current Hokage, Danzo. Pay attention."

"Well, shouldn't we be heading to the summit then?" Suigetsu asked.

"Taka will take the Hokage's head at the Five-Kage summit," Sasuke said as he looked at the group.

"Hold on," Hikari said as she shook her head. "It's fucking madness! We are a group of five shinobi. There are the five Kage and their escort parties. In estimation, that's fifteen high-ranking Shinobi against the five of us! We may be good, but we're not _that _good. We should attack Danzo on his way there."

"No," Sasuke said as he looked at Hikari. "I want them to know who did this and why. We're going to the summit."

"Sounds like a plan," Madara said as he looked back towards the rest of Taka.

"Where is the summit?" Karin asked as she looked at Sasuke for some kind of support.

"My clone will guide you," Zetsu said.

"When is the summit taking place?" Sasuke asked.

"A week from now," Madara replied.

"We will stop at the nearest Inn tonight to rest," Sasuke said as he looked into Hikari's eyes; she knew that was a message to her. He wanted her not to overexert herself. This made her want to smile; a small part of the person she loved was worried about her and his baby. However, Hikari didn't look at him long because Zetsu began to split himself in half and she did not want to watch as he did it.

"Okay, follow me."

…

"Focus my chakra," Hikari uttered as she held her hands out in front of her. With a deep inhale she opened her eyes and imagined her chakra being forced out of her fingertips. She blinked and looked at Suigetsu with anticipation shining in her eyes.

"What exactly was that supposed to do again?" Hikari sighed and dropped her head so that it hung at her shoulders.

"I'm never going to get the hang of this," she whined as she looked at him.

"Eh, try it again?" he asked with a shrug.

"But I'm getting nowhere," she complained. "We have been at since we got here." She gestured towards the clearing they had made camp in.

"Why are you using your hands, Hikari?" Sasuke asked as he looked up at her from the tree he sat at.

"What are you going on about?" she snapped. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Sorry."

"Why are you using your hands to try and direct your chakra?"

"How else would I do it?" she demanded as she planted her hands on her hips.

"Your eyes…"

"I'm not an Uchiha or Hyuuga," Hikari spat. "I don't use Doujutsu."

"I'm not saying that you do," he said as his patience decreased. "However, how do you normally use your jutsu when you use your blood?"

"Well, usually I map out their insides and then send the blood to the place I focus on with my…eyes…" Hikari nodded and began to jump up and down. "Peirce them with my chakra through my eyes and then control it using my hands! You're a genius!"

"I'm not sure about that last part," Suigetsu said with a smirk, which earned him a heated glare from Sasuke.

Hikari turned around and faced Suigetsu again.

"Alright," she said as she focused on him with her eyes. With one quick movement, she flicked her wrists and nothing happened.

"You have to focus chakra to your eyes, Hikari," Sasuke said with a sigh.

"Oh…right…"

…

"Man, it's getting cold," Suigetsu complained.

"You didn't listen to me when I told you to buy yourself warmer attire," Hikari said as she stuck her tongue out. "These northern regions are freezing."

"Shut up," he said as he looked away from her.

"The land of Iron, it's just a stone's throw away," Zetsu told them.

"Wait! There is something up ahead," Karin said loud enough so everyone could hear her over the wind; at first Hikari really disliked Karin, but as she got to know her, she found that she wasn't too bad. It was almost like being around Sakura again, except Karin was bossier; if that was even possible.

Sasuke looked back at her and nodded. Hikari bit her lip and looked at Suigetsu.

"I want to practice on your some more."

"No freaking way! We're running through icy territory, if you actually manage to gain control over me, who says you won't smash my face into the ground?" Suigetsu yelled over the wind. Hikari smirked.

"Who says I would?" Hikari sighed. "Fine, but when this is all over, you are going to be my permanent testing buddy."

"I really hate the sound of that…"


	51. The Fifty First Passage

_**The Fifty-First Passage:**_

"Hikari, I would like you to come with me."

"Are you sure Sasuke will agree to that?" she asked bitterly in return. "The way you two talk about me pisses me off, big time."

"You will only be gone for a short while," Madara said with a wry smile from underneath his mask, but Hikari could hear it in his voice. She had become very perceptive towards the way Madara sounded because she couldn't see his expressions. "Sasuke can have you back as soon as we're done. I need your help convincing an old friend of mine."

"Convincing?" Hikari asked as she looked at the masked-man with a sigh. "I'm not sure I like where this is going. You're sneaking me out and trying to get my help 'convincing' someone to do something…this sounds like it's illegal. Aren't you supposed to be the great deceiver or something? Why do you need my help?"

"Leave a note for Sasuke to find. Tell him I will bring you back soon."

"Won't he think I've been captured?" Hikari countered as she walked towards the old desk in the room and opened its draw; she found a pad of paper and a pen. She was happy that even though this poor-quality inn lacked almost everything, it hadn't quite become useless.

"No; your handwriting won't seem rigid or give away any signs of fear," Madara explained. "Now, let's go."

Hikari bit her lip and followed the order as soon as the searing had started. However, an idea came into her head; she just had to write the note to satisfy Madara, he just had to _think_ it said what he told her to write. Without hesitating or giving away any ideas of her plan, she began to write. When she stood up and began to follow him she held a silent victory for herself when the burning stopped; perhaps Itachi would have been proud of her.

…

"Sora?" Midoriko asked quietly as she looked into the Village. "Why do you hate Hikari so much?"

The boy let a heavy sigh leave his lips as he looked at the profile of her face.

"It's a long and complicated story," Sora muttered. "I just want to forget about her."

Midoriko shifted from her seat on the bench and looked him directly in the eyes.

"But forgetting never really resolves anything, does it?"

Sora looked away from her and frowned.

"I had a crush on Hikari when she was here in the village," Sora began as he looked back out to the horizon. "I was fairly jealous of Sasuke and pissed off that Hikari left me at the drop of a hat, but I got over it when she talked with me." Sora sighed and reached down to the ground, picking up a leaf as he twirled it in between his fingers. "It was when she left Konoha to go live happily ever after with a criminal that made me angry."

"Sora…she didn't-" "I know what you're going to say," he cut her off. "Save your breath. She could have lived on here, happy. She could have been okay if she had just given it time. She could have been with us but she chose _him_; a criminal who is causing destruction and probably causing her more grief that she ever would have felt when he was gone…"

Midoriko sighed.

"You thought you would get your chance and then you found that she had left too…"

"That's right; stupid me," Sora grumbled. "She's a snake charmer. I should have seen through her the moment she came here. She was so _false_ and I fell for it; I fell for her…"

"She wasn't false…she was everything she had always wanted to be and you helped her become that," Midoriko said as she touched his hand cautiously.

"I'm guessing you're her damage control…"

"Excuse me?"

"Let me guess…you follow her everywhere and clean up her messes once she's done," Sora spat. "That's not friendship; it's servitude. Face it, you're her slave."

"It's funny you say that," Midoriko whispered as she looked at her hands. "In a way that's exactly what I am. However, I truly believe that she is my friend and I can overcome what my clan has done for generations. I don't care if I have to slit my own throat, I will not fight Hikari for power. There will be no more Uchiha verses Senju among the Koizumi. I know somewhere deep down, she feels the same. Believe it or not, Hikari is a very peaceful person at heart; she loathes conflict and death."

"That's funny," Sora scoffed. "I didn't hear anyone preaching these things when she kidnapped the Ichibi or Hachibi. She helped kill them; how is that peaceful?"

"I said 'at heart'…sometimes we cannot defy our masters. I have told every around here a million times and I will say it again; Hikari is not a part of the Akatsuki by choice."

"Where is your proof?" Sora asked. "She may be cursed, but if she truly wished for peace she would defy him."

"And kill you?" Midoriko defended. "She isn't in it just for herself." Sora frowned and stood.

"Come back and talk to me when you aren't preaching her innocence like a faith; Hikari isn't who you think she is."

"I need to speak with you two…" Midoriko and Sora raised their heads and saw a brown-haired Shinobi.

"May I help you?" Midoriko asked as she stood up and brushed off her clothing.

"I'm Nara Shikamaru," the shinobi said. "I have come to speak with you about Koizumi Hikari."

Midoriko held her breath.

"What is it?" Sora drawled as stepped next to the girl who began to shake and grabbed her arm.

"Danzo want's Hikari dealt with," Shikamaru said as he avoided eye contact with Midoriko. "I have come here to tell you that it's over; if anyone from Team Asami tries to aid her in any way, you will all be put into prison." Midoriko sighed and grabbed Sora's hand that had been attached to her arm to try and stop herself from doing anything stupid.

"You can't kill her or you would be killing one of your own," she threatened. Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "Don't reach for your weapons, I just wish to show you something; I won't kill him." Midoriko carefully rolled up the ink-haired boy's sleeve and pulled off his glove as she held up his hand in hers. "Do you see this mark? If you kill Hikari, you will kill Sora as well…" Midoriko dropped his hand and looked away. "Whoever is controlling Hikari put it on Sora too…their lives are linked…" Shikamaru frowned and looked at Sora.

"It's true," he uttered as he crossed his arms. "Believe me; I don't think she is any good, however, I don't feel like dying today."

"For the moment I will put out a notice not to touch her…however, Danzo may deicide differently when he returns. Sometimes there has to be sacrifice involved, at least, that's what I believe Danzo's reaction will be."

"I understand," Sora said, making sure not to give away anything he was feeling.

"It truly hurts to think that people are being punished for the actions of their loved ones…" Midoriko muttered. "I wish I could have done my job; I wish I could have stopped her from coming here. I wish she didn't meet Sasuke." Tears began to pour out of the blond-girl's eyes and she held her forehead as she began to sob. "My friend is going to die and I can't do a thing about it."

"Thank you, Nara-san," Sora said as he looked at Midoriko with a saddened expression. "I appreciate the news."

Shikamaru nodded and turned around with a heavy sigh as he began to walk away.

Sora hesitantly touched Midoriko's shoulder.

"It's going to be okay…" Sora uttered.

"It's not…it's either lose her, you, or both," Midoriko said with a shudder. "Why can't I ever do anything right?"

"It's going to be alright; no one is going to die," Sora said confidentially. Midoriko looked up at him with a frown. "I never believed in this whole 'save Hikari' crap, but I am on board now."

"Why?"

"Because I can't stand to see you cry the way she used to…"

…

_I am so sorry to all of those who came here to read this chapter last week and it wasn't posted. I was literally swamped with homework and then there was the fact that I needed to finish writing the chapter. I think I am good for a little while because I have up to chapter fifty-four posted. _


	52. The Fifty Second Passage

_**The Fifty-Second Passage:**_

"How about we talk, Uzumaki Naruto?"

Before Hikari had registered Madara's sentence, Naruto had turned around and aimed a rasengan at them both. Hikari's eyes widened as she quickly flung herself away from the raging current of his wind attack; the last thing she needed was to get caught up in that while she was pregnant. She realised how incredibly difficult everything was going to be with the child growing inside of her; she just prayed Madara would not find out.

"A rasengan right off the bat, huh?" Madara asked. Naruto's eyes widened as he realised Madara had relocated to the roof. "Are you alright, Hikari?" If possible, his eyes widened more.

"It's nothing serious," Hikari uttered as she jumped up next to him. "I just twisted my ankle when I tried to dodge his attack. It'll be fine in a few moments." Madara looked back down at Naruto.

"You realise your rasengan doesn't work on me, right?"

Hikari swore again as she jumped to the side to avoid having a wooden pillar constrict around her; like it was doing to Madara.

Hikari was happy she had worked with Midoriko so long; it had trained her to catch the distinct sound of the wood-Ninjutsu. She was lucky she escaped without any trouble from her ankle, that cage could have done damage if it squeezed as tightly as it looked to be squeezing Madara. However, her ankle didn't allow her to move quick enough to dodge the beam that flung her down to Naruto's level. A cage formed around them, forcing them to the wall.

"Hikari Koizumi; captured." A wall separated her from Naruto. "Naruto, you stay put." Hikari's eyes widened as she watched Kakashi appear behind Madara and bring his lightning-blade to life.

Her hand traveled to her abdomen; just to make sure everything felt the same while Madara was distracted with Kakashi. Hikari sighed with relief.

"We won't let you get your hands on Naruto that easy, Madara Uchiha," Kakashi uttered with a glare directed at the Uchiha.

"Didn't you hear what I told Naruto? No attacks work against Madara Uchiha," he replied in an indifferent tone.

"I don't know if you're merely erasing your presence, or if you're an astral projection, but I know it's necessary for you to manifest physically to capture Naruto," Yamato informed, "otherwise you couldn't actually grab him. This is my territory."

"I never thought it would be easy," Madara said. "You see, I have my own plan; however, right now, I'd rather talk."

"Talk?" Kakashi asked with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, what is it that made Pein, Nagato, turn traitor?" Madara looked down directly into the jinchuuriki's eyes. "Naruto, you have aroused my curiosity."

"Who cares about that? What do you intend to do with Sasuke?" Naruto yelled as he ran to the edge of the cage. "Tell me about Sasuke!"

Hikari's eyes fell to the floor.

"Sasuke, huh?" Madara asked as he thought over Naruto's demand. "Fine…I'll tell you."

"No, Madara-sama!" Hikari yelled as she ran to the edge of the cell.

"I will tell you about the man whose hatred of the shinobi-world runs through his bones and straight into his core," Madara said as he ignored Hikari, "I will tell you about Sasuke Uchiha."

"This is a bad idea!" Hikari yelled. "It's only going to make them look for him more! They're going to get in the way!"

"However, before I can tell you about Sasuke, you have to know about Itachi…"

"No!" Hikari bellowed. "They can't know! He didn't want anyone to know!"

Silence fell around them as she glared at Madara.

"First, hear about Itachi…"

…

"You're lying!" Naruto yelled. "That's nonsense!"

"No, it can't be…" Yamato said with widened eyes.

"Stop joking around," Kakashi growled. "Who would believe that story?"

"It's not a lie…that's the truth about Itachi," Madara said calmly. "He died for Sasuke's sake and for Konoha. Not to mention he kept your precious Koizumi from harm."

Hikari glared at Madara and Naruto looked at her from a side; he could see the pain in her eyes and he wondered briefly if perhaps it was true. Tears began to drain from her eyes as she looked away from the Uchiha and held her head; he could see a thousand memories flash before her eyes. Naruto unclenched his fist and then clenched it again when he looked back at Madara; for a second, he had seen the girl he knew back in Konoha.

"Even if it is true, and Sasuke is aware of it, why would he help the Akatsuki?" Kakashi asked. "Knowing him, he would return to Konoha and live out Itachi's will." With her former guardian's words, Hikari let go of all of her restraint.

"It's because of _him_," she yelled with defiant tear-filled eyes as she pointed directly at Madara. "He poisoned Sasuke!"

"Hikari…" Madara said as he glared down at her. "You know as well as I that I had nothing to do with Sasuke's decision. As Sasuke's teacher, lover and friends, you might have all thought you understood his true feelings, but you were all merely mistaken. He's the real thing…a true avenger."

"Did you turn Sasuke into that!" Naruto yelled as he looked at Hikari who angrily looked up at Madara; he could see the fire in her eyes and the will to resist every restraint that held her down.

"Contrary to what you have heard from Hikari, I did not," Madara said indifferently. "Sasuke choose this himself."

"You and I both know he's easily manipulated!" Hikari yelled as she smashed her fist into the wooden cage that contained her.

"Sasuke would not appreciate that coming from you," Madara said as he looked down at her. "Remember your duty, Hikari. It seems your grief for Itachi still runs strong; however, you have other loyalties. You and I both know what Sasuke wants, he gets."

"It's a lie!" Naruto yelled as he held his head against the wooden cage.

"By saying that, you're try to deny everything bad Sasuke has done," Hikari uttered as her eyes dropped to the floor; even she could not deny the small truth in Madara's words. Even if Sasuke was easily manipulated, it was what he wanted. "If Sasuke wanted to come back, he would have. Madara appealed more to him than the village. There is always a small amount of our own will in our decisions, even if we are under someone else's control. Look at me, I could defy the curse on my hand if I really wanted to, but I'm far too selfish and do not wish to die. I put my own life before all the people who I hurt because of the actions forced onto me."

"I took a gamble too," Madara said. "Would Sasuke carry on Itachi's wishes, or would he seek revenge against Konohagakure? He chose vengeance and in essence, he was meant to be on our side; as is Hikari because she wants to help Sasuke so desperately. To do it, she will remain loyal to me. Sasuke's goal at the moment is to take revenge on Konoha for what they did to Itachi and the Uchiha clan."

"Why?" Naruto asked quietly. As he continued to talk, he began to shake and get louder. "Why him? Why did this happen? How could he turn to revenge!"

"It was inevitable because of the Uchiha's blood-soaked destiny of hatred, like a curse that's been passed down for centuries; like the curse on Hikari's hand that forces her to bend to my will. The Koizumi clan runs the same way, much as it is her destiny to stand at Sasuke's side. A curse of hatred that started many generations ago…"

"A curse," Naruto asked as he looked at Hikari's hand; he could see a black tattoo on her palm. He looked back at Madara, "of hatred?"

"It started with the Sage of Six Paths," Madara said stoically.

"The Sage of Six Paths?" Kakashi asked sceptically. "That's just a myth. The Rinnegan was no more than a mutation!"

"Myths come from truth," Madara countered. "Long ago the Sage of Six Paths preached the Ninshu and tried to lead the way of peace, but before he realised his dream, time ran out. The Sage decided to intrust the power and will of Ninshu into his three children. The older son was born with the Sage's eyes; he inherited the Sage's chakra and mental energy and believed that such strength was crucial to peace. The younger son was born with the Sage's body; he inherited the Sage's life force and physical energy and believed that love was crucial to peace. His youngest, a girl, was born with all of her mother's features but she inherited his blood and essence. She believed that balance was crucial to peace. Ultimately, the Sage was forced to choose his successor from his deathbed; however, his decision created a curse of hatred that has lasted for generations."

"The woman!" Hikari choked. "Was it-"

"No," Madara said as he looked down at her. "It was not Kameyo. However, when this curse was created, woman became greatly sad because she could not balance her family. Instead, she left and found a young child playing by herself. Upon closer inspection, the girl was in the middle of a clearing and standing on one foot with a book on top of her head. By chance, she asked the child what she was doing in a field alone at her age and the child answered by saying that she was trying to achieve perfect-balance. The woman was said to have smiled and then cut open her arm and force her blood into the young girl's body; the Koizumi were born. The Sage's daughter created the Koizumi-clan and that young girl was Kameyo." Hikari swallowed and watched Madara intensely. "The Sage's daughter instructed that the girl should find her family members and do the same thing that she had done to her. When she was done, she was to find the other two sons of the sage and aid them. The Sage's daughter wanted balance and harmony between the two brothers more than anything and she was willing to die to pass on her powers, but not even the Koizumi-clan could achieve that." Madara paused and looked down at Naruto. "Instead of choosing the older son who believed strength would lead to peace, the Sage chose his younger son that believed love lead to peace as his successor. The elder brother believed that as the elder son, he should be successor and was dissatisfied. Thus he started the hateful conflict with his younger brother. Even as time went on, and their blood thinned, their descendants continued to fight. The elder brother's descendants became known as the 'Uchiha' and the younger brother's became the 'Senju'. The fights between myself and Senju Hashirama were fated. This is the second time we've met," Madara said as he peered into Naruto's eyes, "and I can see that the Senju Will of Fire burns strong in you. Even now, I can see the first Hokage in you. Even though he has long been dead, he manages to live on. The man I admired, my rival and the man I hated more than anyone. The Senju and the Uchiha; the Will of Fire and hatred…Naruto and Sasuke, Hikari and Midoriko."

"_What does he mean by adding Midoriko and I into the mix?" _

"One day, the Loyalty that lies in the Koizumi clan will force Hikari and Midoriko to turn on each other and fight, just like how you and Sasuke will eventually battle one day," Madara said as he looked towards Hikari. "You're the next in line, chosen by fate. The Uchiha clan is a clan weighed down by vengeance; Sasuke carries all of the hatred of the Uchiha and strike the world with that curse of hatred."

"Sasuke has his own free will!" Hikari yelled as she glared at the elder Uchiha. "Destiny and fate don't rule people's lives!"

"Above weapons, his friends, his lover, his life; his hatred surpasses everything," Madara said as he looked at Hikari. "Eventually, he will have a family and his hatred with surpass that too."

Hikari's breath hitched and a small voice inside screamed, _"Does he know!"_

She wouldn't let it show on her face, though; she couldn't or she would be certain that he would know.

"That is Sasuke's ninja-way."

…

Hikari fell out from a black abyss and nearly puked when her body collided with the hard surface beneath her; her mind instantly worried about her child instead of her own wellbeing. Next time, she'd ask Madara not to use his time-space jutsu on her.

Hikari forced her eyes open and saw Karin huddled against the wall.

"Hikari!" she whispered urgently. "Where did you come from?"

"An alternate dimension," Hikari muttered as she slowly sat up. She let her hand travel to her abdomen and used chakra to make sure the baby inside was okay; relief spread across her face once she was sure there was no damage. Yelling disrupted the silence and Hikari looked around, but only saw the wall behind Karin. "What's going on here? Where are we?"

"Inside the building of the Go-Kage summit," Karin uttered. "Sasuke's fighting the Raikage!" Hikari's eyes widened as she shot to her feet and looked over the ledge that Karin was leaning against.

"Shit!" Hikari yelled as she watched the Raikage life his leg to slam down onto Sasuke, who had Susanoo activated; Sasuke had only recently told her about the technique, but she recognised it instantly by its description. "He's in trouble!"

"Wait! Hikari, it's dangerous to go down there!" Karin urged as she tried to grab for the other girl, but it was too late; Hikari had already flung herself over the wall before Karin had spoken.

Hikari focused on the Raikage, but before she could launch her first attempt at the advanced form of her Kekki Genkai, sand rushed between the Raikage and Sasuke, absorbing the kick that would have crushed him.

"Sabaku no Gaara," Sasuke hissed as he began to get up.

"You're alive?" Hikari mouthed with widened eyes. Joy gripped at her insides. Of all the people she had to kill with the Akatsuki, Gaara was one of the ones she wished she hadn't had to be involved with; he reminded her of Konoha. If Gaara was still alive, than perhaps Konoha stood a chance.

Hikari jumped back as Temari jumped in front of her brother and unleashed her fan. She blew a gust of wind at one of the samurai and then Kankurou, another sibling of Gaara, pulled the armor off with his puppet strings.

"So, this is the fire that cannot be put out? Amaterasu, huh?" Kankurou asked as he flung it down next to him; Hikari noticed that he kept his distance though.

Gaara began to walk towards Sasuke.

"_This is not going to end well," _Hikari thought as she stared at the red-haired man.

"You Samurai stand back," Gaara commanded calmly, "this is a matter of the Shinobi world. There is no need for the Samurai to become needless sacrifices."

"Thank you, Kazekage-dono," one of the samurai uttered as he began to lift his comrade from the ground.

"Why did you interfere, Kazekage? Depending on your answer, I might not let you get away with this!" The Raikage fumed.

"If you continued your attack like that, more of your body would have been burned by the Amaterasu," Gaara explained, "also, I would like to speak with Uchiha Sasuke."

Hikari's eyes widened, not from Gaara's statement, but because she watched the Raikage cut off his own arm.

"Shee! Hurry up and stop the bleeding! Once it's done, I'm attacking!" the Raikage declared loudly.

"_Like hell you are,"_ Hikari thought with narrowed eyes. _"I may not like what he's doing, but I don't want my child to grow up without a father; I'll waste anyone who tries to fuck that over. I've had enough things screwed up in my life for my tastes…if I can just figure out a way to inconspicuously get my blood in him, I can end this by taking him as a hostage…"_

"Your eyes are just like they were back then," Gaara said; this drew Hikari's attention away from the Raikage. She had to make sure Sasuke didn't do anything more to get on Konoha's bad side with Danzo as the Hokage. "I know that living only for revenge will solve nothing. There is still time. Don't become obsessed with hatred and take refuge in a world of solitude. You will never be able to return if you do…"

"So…what if I did return, there would be nothing left for me…"

"Gaara stop," Kankurou said as he looked at his younger brother; he felt sympathetic, but he knew Sasuke was beyond saving.

"Sasuke, you are like me," Gaara said as he looked down at the Uchiha. "We have walked in the darkness of the world. Therefore you should be able to see the smallest flicker of light in it…" Gaara's eyes wandered to Hikari and she felt like he was staring into her soul; after a moment, his eyes returned to Sasuke, "back then, and even now!"

"I closed my eyes a long time ago," Sasuke said with a smirk. "My goal lies within the abyss." Hikari closed her eyes and looked away from him; her hands shook and she felt physically ill.

Sand suddenly burst from Gaara's gourd and Hikari swallowed but her throat was dry; simultaneously, Sasuke activated Susanoo.

"_I am a Koizumi,"_ Hikari told herself as she eyed Sasuke, _"bound to an Uchiha…" _

Hikari nodded to herself and focused on Gaara; if she needed to, she would have to try and stop him.


	53. The Fifty Third Passage

_**The Fifty-Third Passage:**_

"He's aiming for the pillars! The ceiling, the pillars won't hold it up!"

Hikari's eyes widened as she stone ceiling began to fall and then she averted them to Sasuke's form in front of her. She wanted to scream to him, but she never thought that he would hear her in the state he was in; complete madness.

Hikari began to focus on the rocks, but no matter how hard she tried they still came crashing towards her. Slowly, her hands dropped to her side as she watched a barrage of sand launch itself over her head and stop any rocks from hitting her.

Her hand settled on her abdomen and tears began to leak from her eyes; Sasuke had tried to kill everyone in the room, but he didn't even have the decency to try and protect her or their unborn child.

"Girl." Hikari looked up and saw Gaara approaching her. "You are the girl who used to reside in Konoha with Uchiha Sasuke, are you not?"

"Y-Yes," Hikari uttered as she inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry for everything he's done…I'm sorry for everything I've done."

Kankurou looked at Temari and then back at Hikari.

"You helped kidnap Gaara," he accused. "You're Koizumi Hikari."

"I won't deny my actions," Hikari responded, "but I will say I would have never done anything like that willfully." Hikari looked at Gaara and then wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thank you, for saving me."

"It was not only your life at stake," Gaara said as he looked down at her hand that was clutching the fabric of clothing covering her abdomen.

"So you know then?" Hikari asked quietly.

Temari immediately stepped forwards and grabbed Hikari's arm.

"We should use her as bait for Uchiha," she said sternly. Hikari began to laugh bitterly.

"Five minutes ago that would have been a great plan, or have you forgotten he not only tried to kill you?" Hikari retorted as more tears welled in her eyes.

"I don't think he knew you were here," a blond shinobi from Kumogakure said as he walked towards the group. "I only sensed four shinobi and then you suddenly came along. He didn't see nor hear you. The fact that you came in late also makes me think he tried to convince you to stay out of harm's way…I agree with the Kazekage's sister, we should use her as bait."

"We will pursue Uchiha at once!" the Raikage said as he began to run in the direction towards the opening Sasuke had escaped from. "Bring the girl."

…

"_I have to get away from them!"_ Hikari thought urgently as she looked around and tried to scan her surroundings. _"Sasuke's chakra has disappeared…did Madara do something?" _

"Planning to get away from us is useless, little girl," the Raikage sneered from behind her. "Reincarnation of Kameyo Koizumi or not, you're not going anywhere."

"On the contrary, she is…"

The Shinobi around Hikari halted when someone appeared in front of the group.

"She looks just like the Koizumi-girl!" Kankurou yelled.

"I will give you all five seconds to step away from my daughter," Kameyo said hostilely with narrowed eyes, "or I will crush you."

The Raikage ran to the front of the group and aimed a punch for the slender woman. Kameyo easily dodged and then flung her arm out, sending the Raikage flying into the wall of the narrow hallway; the wall's surface cracked upon contact with his broad body.

"I am a lot older than you,_ boy_, so I wouldn't mess with me," Kameyo said as she looked towards the Raikage who was working on standing up with the use of only one arm. "Hikari is not my reincarnation, she is my daughter. I want you all to understand this perfectly," Kameyo said as she looked at each face of the group, "I will not stand for her capture and I will destroy you all with a blink of an eye. This is not an empty threat, step away or I will not only kill the Raikage," Kameyo said as she lifted her arm and flung the bulky man into the air and held him there, "but the Kazekage too," she said as she picked up Gaara with the use of her other arm. "Step away from my daughter."

"Gaara!" Temari said, "what do we do!"

"Let her go," Gaara said as he looked at the woman holding suspended in midair. "I can feel her energy coursing through my body and wrapping its way around all of my organs…this is no empty threat."

"Hikari, come here," Kameyo demanded as she looked at her daughter fiercely.

Hikari glanced around the group as she took a step towards her mother. After she was confident they were not going to do anything, she took all the necessary steps until she was standing next to the older Koizumi.

"Do you always show up when I am in a bind?" Hikari uttered quietly.

"That seems to be my job," Kameyo said as she flung both Kage's towards their groups. Directly after letting them go, she put her hand on Hikari's shoulder.

"Let's go."

"Don't let them get away!" the Raikage yelled.

"They're gone," the Gaara uttered as he looked around.

"How are we supposed to beat someone like that?" Temari asked as she looked around.

"I don't know, but I'm sure someone has information on her," Kankurou said. "Every technique has a weakness."

…

"My name is Uchiha Madara," Madara said as he appeared in front of the assembled Kage who were fighting over who should have killed Uchiha Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" Karin yelled as she saw that Sasuke was being held by Madara.

"I have something I want to tell you."

Kameyo sighed as jumped down next to Karin.

"Are you hurt, girl?" she whispered. Karin shook her head. "Good."

"After you have understood what I have to say, I want to ask you all something…"

"About what?" the Raikage demanded with a glare.

"My goal: Tsuki no Me."


	54. The Fifty Fourth Passage

_**The Fifty-Fourth Passage:**_

"Where is this?"

"So, he brought you in here too," Hikari uttered as she focused on closing the external wounds on Sasuke's body.

"Hikari?" Karin asked as she looked away from the abyss they sat in and towards the girl she had mentioned.

"Yeah…this is Madara's jutsu," Hikari explained. "Help me heal Sasuke. I'm not a medical ninja and I am feeling pretty shaken up right now. I'm not sure if I should handle internal injuries…"

"Alright," Karin said with a nod.

…

"I got here as soon as I figured out you were gone," Asami said with narrowed eyes. "I've brought my squad too. We snuck out of the village."

"Asami…" Kakashi said with a sigh. "You could be executed for this."

"So, it's okay for you to sneak off with Yamato and Naruto to appeal to the Raikage and now try to find Sasuke, but it's not okay for me to sneak out of the village to try and find you and maybe run into Hikari?" Asami asked as she planted her hands on her hips and raised her brow.

"I'm familiar with the Land of Iron," Midoriko put forth, "and a lot of the area around it. If you need a skilled tracker, I can definitely help with that."

"We make a pretty good team," Hoshi said as he stepped next to his brother. "Midoriko and I tend to handle tactical stuff while Asami and Sora handle the offensive; we're a team made for tracking, scouting, and other such missions without being seen. That's why Lady Hokage made up our team this way and waited so long to replace our lost member; she needed another Koizumi to fill in Hikari's shoes."

"Why my brother is trying to say is if you guys need someone found, we're the ones to do it," Sora said as he crossed his arms.

"We're here to stay," Asami said with a smirk, "and to help."

"It seems like I don't have a choice do I?" Kakashi asked with a sigh.

"Not really, I'm afraid," Asami said with a shrug as she walked up to him and touched the side of his face. "We're going to pull through this, right?"

"Yeah, let's hope."

…

"Hurry up and get well!" Karin barked.

"He will wake up when he wakes up," Hikari responded with a pointed glare. "Yelling won't help him. Don't forget, he was severely injured."

"Are you sure you should be doing this?" Karin asked as he glanced up at Hikari. The older girl looked into the red head's eyes.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well Sasuke seems to be treating you differently lately…I thought that maybe you were at a loss of chakra because of your training-"

"Don't play dumb with me, I know you're a sensory type…you can see the other chakra inside me," Hikari said bitterly. Karin nodded and looked away from the other girl.

"You know?" Karin jumped out of her skin when Sasuke grabbed her wrist; she nodded meekly. "Get this straight; if you breathe a word to anyone, I will kill you." Karin swallowed and nodded.

"Sasuke," Hikari hissed. "We happen to be inside of Madara's other dimension…unless you want him to know, shut your mouth."

Sasuke glared at Hikari and activated his Sharingan.

"If you think I'm afraid of you, you have another thing coming," Hikari said bitterly as she pulled her arms away from him and crossed them. "If I need to threaten you as well, I will. Do not forget that my blood is inside of your body; I will put out your lights if need be." Sasuke began to sit up and pull his shirt together, decided it was best to ignore his fuming girlfriend.

"Are you alright, Sasuke?" Karin asked as she backed off from him; it wasn't enough for him though, she was still smothering.

Suddenly, Sasuke's eyes drew to above the seated group and he glared.

"Let me out of here!"

Hikari looked up and noticed Madara as well.

"Please," she added.

"Don't be so hasty," Madara replied; despite Sasuke's hostility, the man was not afraid of such a young Uchiha. "I will let you go; I have something waiting for you outside."

"_I don't like the sounds of this…" _Hikari thought as she bit her lip.

In the next millisecond, all four Shinobi felt the crushing pressure of warping through Madara's dimension and into the real plane; in front of them, Danzo stood.

"_If Sasuke manages to kill Danzo there will be no going back,"_ Hikari thought as she took in the sight of the elderly-man; she had never seen him before, but she had no doubt in his identity._ "Things just keep on going downhill…" _

"Hikari, Karin, stay back," Madara commanded, "if you get caught up in this fight you will die."

The mark on Hikari's hand began to burn.

"I expect you to keep Sasuke's companion from harm's way," Madara ordered again.

"Right," Hikari said with a nod as she jumped back and drew her bladeless hilt from her belt; Karin landed beside her. "Get behind me Karin, this is about to get ugly."

…

"I know it seems hopeless, Naruto-kun," Midoriko said with a sigh as she looked at the profile of his face; both of them sat on the roof of the inn Naruto had been staying in. "Gaara was right, Sasuke doesn't care about you."

"How is that supposed to make me realise that it's not hopeless?" Naruto asked as he slammed his fist into the roof.

"He may not care about you," Midoriko continued as she touched his arm lightly, "but he isn't gone completely right? We still have someone holding him so he can't jump over the edge…we still have Hikari."

"Do you really think she can do that?" Naruto asked as he looked away from Midoriko. "Even Sakura-chan couldn't stop him."

"Sakura and Hikari are different," Midoriko said with a sigh. "Sakura isn't his Koizumi."

"I couldn't stop him…"

"I know it hurts," Midoriko said, "but I promise that the pain isn't everlasting. Things will get better; you just have to believe that they will. I know this works; I would have never gotten through my darkest times if I didn't believe they'd come to an end."

"What if the end to this conflict is Sasuke dying? What if I can't ever save him?"

"Have you ever paused to think for a moment that maybe saving your home is more important than him?"

"I don't value Konoha over Sasuke…it would only make things worse if what Madara said was true," Naruto said as he looked towards the ground.

"What Madara said?" Midoriko asked. "Did he tell you something, Naruto?"

"I shouldn't have even told you that…I'm sorry, I can't say anything more, Midoriko; just in case he was lying," Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I understand," Midoriko said with a nod. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Not really…" he admitted.

"Well, I'm not an expert, but maybe you should reflect on what it means to save Sasuke. Maybe you're trying to go about it wrong…"

"I don't really know what to do anymore…it seemed so easy when I was a kid, but now, it's like at every turn there's another door closing for him. I'm not sure which route he can even take anymore."

"Well, that we have in common…but do you want to know something, Naruto?" He looked up and into her eyes. "There is absolutely no one telling you that you can't at least try to pry the doors back open again." Naruto smiled and nodded.

"I think we might have a lot in common, Midoriko."

"Yeah, I do too," she said with a laugh. "Promise me as your friend that you won't give up?"

"Yeah, I promise."


	55. The Fifty Fifth Passage

_**The Fifty-Fifth Passage:**_

"This is really bad," Hikari breathed as the creases of her mouth fell down into an even more noticeable frown. "His arm…my god, is that why he wanted the Uchiha-clan to be killed? Is that the underlying reason? Did Danzo want to collect the Sharingan of the dead?" Hikari's eyes fell to Sasuke's shaking shoulders. "Karin, we need to back up more. I thought this was bad, but I didn't realise it could get worse…"

"Right," Karin said as she began to move backwards with Hikari. She dropped her voice to a whisper. "Are you sure you should be the one protecting me?"

"Shush," Hikari demanded with a harsh glare, "and get behind me."

"Right…"

"Why do you have those eyes in your right arm?" Sasuke spat his question out with hatred Hikari didn't even recognise; she knew he must have figured it out, but it was almost like he wanted to hear the words to fuel the fire.

"I picked them up here or there…it's a long story," Danzo replied.

"Knowing would probably upset me more," Sasuke said as he closed his eyes. "Forget it, I have already decided to kill you…what difference does it make?" Sasuke opened his eyes and narrowed them. "However, before I do so I have one more question I'd like to ask. "Is it true that the mission to exterminate the Uchiha-clan was given to Uchiha Itachi by upper echelons of Konoha?"

Danzo began to do handsigns; Hikari recognised them. She opened her mouth to yell a warning to Sasuke, but Danzo had already taken off and Sasuke had already activated Susano'o before she could.

"_This is bad,"_ Hikari thought as she threw down the bladeless hilt; if Danzo was a wind-elemental, she would not be able to beat him with his current chakra signatures; she would have to use water and sound.

The hand of Susano'o grabbed Danzo and began to squeeze him as it held him in the air.

"So, this is the power they call Susano'o?"

"I'll ask you one more time!" Sasuke yelled. "Is it true that the mission to exterminate the Uchiha-clan was given to Uchiha Itachi by upper echelons of Konoha?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes and glared at Danzo because his question was met with silence. "I asked you a fucking question!" Susano'o began to crush Danzo more in its grasp and he began to struggle as his face reflected all of his physical pain; Hikari felt sympathy for him, even after everything he did, she didn't like to watch people blatantly suffer. She closed her eyes because of the thought that it was Sasuke making him suffer; every time she thought of how the Sasuke she used to know was slipping away, tears began to surface. She would not let herself cry; she cried too often.

"Answer me now!"

"I never thought Itachi would be that kind of man…" Danzo uttered as blood began to run from the corners of his lips to his chin. "Damn Itachi, it seems he revealed everything to you before he died."

"_It is true then…"_ Hikari thought as she directed her eyes to the ground; she saw his face in her mind. If he saw Sasuke now, she wasn't sure he would be proud; she had failed to help Sasuke. She had failed Itachi.

"Just as I thought…" Danzo struggled to say. "You were more valued than the rest…"

"Answer me!" Sasuke yelled again. "Is it true!"

"That man…Itachi…I would have never thought he would reveal his secrets so easily."

"The truth! Does that mean it's the truth!"

"My god," Hikari uttered as she watched Susano'o take on a new form. She bit back her pain and watched as her heart began to thump against her ribcage; she could feel everything she had been feeling at once, all of the pain Itachi's death had caused and all of the pain Sasuke's transformation had caused. She could taste her shame; she had truly failed and feared Sasuke could never go back now. She felt so _powerless._

"Sasuke!" Hikari yelled. "Please, stop!"

He didn't hear her words and Karin yelped as the chakra leaking from Susano'o came towards them.

"Self-sacrifice, that is the essence of a Shinobi," Danzo croaked. "Never witnessing the light and moving into the shadows; in the past, that's what a Shinobi truly was! Itachi was not the only one; countless others have died in the same way! Pretty words alone cannot change the world! The sacrifices of people like him allow us to live in the peace we have now! People like you who misinterpret his sacrifices could never understand! But even so, revealing Konoha's secrets so easily makes him no more than a traitor himse-"

Hikari screamed when Danzo's blood splattered across her face; in a fraction of a second, Sasuke had crushed him.

"Don't ever speak Itachi's name again…"

"So be it…Shall we instead fight with our eyes?" Hikari's eyes widened when they located Danzo standing behind Sasuke. She wiped the blood from her face and looked at him again; there was no mistaking his identity. Danzo slammed a Kunai into Susano'o, but it broke.

"Was that a clone?" Hikari uttered as she looked down at Karin.

"No," she other girl answered as she pushed up her glasses. "There was only one chakra signature…"

The fist of Susano'o slammed down on top of Danzo and Hikari could distinctly see his legs under the fingers.

"Over there!" Karin said as she pointed.

Hikari looked up and saw Danzo standing on one of the pillars from the bridge.

"How long was the time when he was slammed into the ground and when he got up there? Two seconds?"

"I'll have to count next time, I didn't see it," Karin answered.

Danzo's landed next to Karin and Hikari, Sasuke attacked regardless.

"Watch it!" Hikari barked as she jumped back. "We're right here, Sasuke!" He didn't answer which stunned her; she was pregnant, he could have killed her _again_, and he didn't have the nerve to at least acknowledge her?

Sasuke jumped up into the head of Susano'o and aimed Amaterasu at Danzo; it hit and enveloped him. When Danzo landed on the ground with the flames consuming him, Sasuke deactivated his Susano'o.

"You idiot!" Hikari yelled as she jogged towards him. "Today alone you have almost killed me twice!"

"Sasuke, behind you!" Karin yelled.

Hikari's eyes widened, but before she could react, Sasuke grabbed her and then jumped out of the way; however, he had to dodge attacks while carrying her and ended up jumping off the edge of the bridge and getting hit by Danzo's attack. Sasuke let go of Hikari, which made her scream, as wiped the blood from his wound onto his fingers and then performed the summoning jutsu. Hikari landed on the back of a hawk and cried out in pain as she hit it. Sasuke landed next to her.

"Is the child alright?"

"I think so," she uttered as she rubbed her back. "I should have known he wouldn't be dead…"

"The Amaterasu…" Danzo called as he made eye-contact with Sasuke. "You're Itachi's little brother after all."

"And you doubted that?" Hikari yelled. "What are you, senile?"

"So you have taken Itachi's techniques…" Danzo's eyes landed on Hikari, "and his woman." Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"I told you not to speak Itachi's name!"

"I do not belong to anyone," Hikari huffed as she crossed her arms and made sure she didn't fall off of the bird by using her chakra to glue herself to the surface.

"Brother's with the same eyes, powers, and lover; and yet, the way you see the world could not differ anymore," Danzo said with a glare. "You don't give a damn about the truth of Itachi; you just want to hurt people in some misguided attempt to rid yourself of your sorrows. You defile the sacrifice of the Uchiha-clan…"

"You have no right to even talk about the Uchiha-clan!" Sasuke yelled as the hawk launched forwards.

Hikari recoiled and tried to decide if she thought it would be safer to stay on its back or jump with Danzo starting to do handsigns; she thought the latter. With swift movement, she threw herself over the bird and then dashed away from the chaos that was about to ensure.

"_How in the hell does that freak know about Itachi and I?" _Hikari threw herself to aside as a wind-shuriken blasted past her; just as she turned around to look what was going on, Sasuke embedded his sword into Danzo. In three seconds, he was back on top of another pillar.

"Give up," Danzo commanded.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and began to intensely glare at Danzo. Crows began to leave Sasuke's body and caw. Hikari watched them fly around Danzo with widened eyes; a man appeared behind Danzo and the sight stole her breath away.

"I-Itachi?"


	56. The Fifty Sixth Passage

_**The Fifty-Sixth Passage:**_

In Hikari's mind, it was cruel the way that Sasuke has used a genjutsu to get his point about Itachi across to Danzo. It had felt so real that for just a second she had grabbed on to the tiniest strand of hope; for just that moment her heartbeat sped up and she felt joy swell within. It lasted no longer than that moment and then the realisation set in and with it, so did the pain. It was like the grief was crashing into her again with newfound waves of sorrow and she hated it. Itachi's death was still fresh cuts onto the surface of her heart and just for a moment her anger towards Sasuke returned until she remembered what Itachi had asked of her.

Sometimes, she wished Sasuke could embrace even a little compassion; he was not the only one suffering because of Itachi's death.

"Sasuke can't move!" Karin urgently whispered to Hikari. Hikari lifted her gaze to him and immediately realised that Karin was right; he had been cursed.

"_We have to figure out what to d-"_ Hikari cut off her own thoughts when she saw Karin run off towards the pillar that Sasuke and Danzo stood atop of. "Karin! Wait, don't go there!" Karin did not listen to Hikari, which made the older girl frown.

Hikari bit her lip as her mind flashed to her abdomen. Getting close to Danzo would be dangerous and she was reluctant to follow the red-head, but she could not defy Madara's orders; her palm had yet to start searing, but she didn't want to chance anything. Without any more thought towards the matter, Hikari launched forwards after Karin and made her way up the pillar.

Karin aimed her fist at Danzo; she was not able to make the hit, however, because Danzo kicked her into the bridge fifty feet below him. Hikari stood frozen on the top of the pillar, not sure if she should move because Danzo was eyeing her. Instead of trying to attack her, like Hikari first thought when Danzo began to move his hands in order to make a hand sign, he completely ignored her. Hikari frowned as she looked towards Sasuke, but she took this opportunity to escape and try to help Karin; she jumped from the pillar and ran to the other girl.

"Are you hurt?"

"A little," Karin admitted. "I don't need assistance though."

When Hikari looked back up, Danzo was flying through the air and Sasuke had reactivated Susano'o.

"This is so bad, I've never seen Sasuke so pissed off before," she uttered as she looked towards Karin. "No matter what happens Madara won't let anything happen to Sasuke. You need to stay out of this fight." Karin did not respond. Hikari did not pester her because Danzo caught her eye; he created a tree from his shoulder.

"Wood element!" Hikari asked loudly. "That bastard was in league with my father! Did he help torture and experiment on Midoriko?" Hikari's eyes widened. "That's why he is able to utilise the Sharingan! It was experimentation that my father used to do with the first Hokage's cells…he can't control the Sharingan all on his own, so the cells help him, but just what is it that Danzo is doing with all of those Sharingan in the first place?"

"Sasuke!" Karin yelled. "That's the real Danzo! The Jutsu he used to make himself immortal is broken right now!"

"It is?" Hikari breathed. "So that is why he used that handsign; I thought he may have been releasing Sasuke's Genjutsu, but in reality, he was releasing his own."

Sasuke released another arrow from Susano'o a second too late after Danzo had weaved handsigns.

"Next time figure out a better way to tell Sasuke!" Hikari barked. "Danzo reactivated the jutsu, didn't he?"

"Sasuke!"

Hikari sighed and looked up and Sasuke, sincerely worried about him.

"Do not move, Karin…I'm going to give Sasuke some of my blood-"

"No!" Karin said as she looked up at Hikari. "Danzo knows who you are, if you move to help Sasuke, he may attack you."

Hikari bit her lip and nodded; Danzo had not attacked her before, but there was no guarantee that he was going to make a habit out of letting her go free.

"Alright, I'll stay."

Danzo and Sasuke began their battle of Genjutsu once again; Sasuke firing attacks through Susano'o and Danzo somehow dodging them.

"_It must be something to do with his Sharingan. It has to be a Genjutsu…maybe it's like Itachi's Tsukuyomi; an ultimate Genjutsu?"_ Hikari thought as she watched Danzo get impaled with a giant arrow from Susano'o; he faded and then reappeared beside it, continuing to run towards Sasuke.

Danzo used wind-element to attack Susano'o, but it didn't work. Instead of trying any more direct methods himself, he wiped his finger on the cut of his arm and performed the summoning jutsu.

"That thing is so bizarre," Hikari said as she looked at the creature Danzo had summoned.

"It's sucking us in!" Karin yelled as she ran towards the edge of the pillar. Hikari nodded and followed her, leaning against the stone for protection against the beast as well.

"He's trying to get rid of Sasuke by sucking him in with Susano'o," Hikari said as she tried to look where she saw the purple flames of Susano'o. "Sasuke needs to use the fire-ball jutsu and burn the mouth of that thing!" As if Sasuke had heard what she said, he did exactly that and then used Susano'o to throw Danzo into the pillar across from him; it was where Hikari and Karin were hiding.

"The summoning, it's gone."

Karin began to inch around the pillar to get a good look at Danzo.

"Susano'o is disappearing!" Hikari said as she looked up towards Sasuke. "He's hurt! I have to go up there!"

"Sasuke! I figured out a bit of this guy's jutsu! Listen to me, okay!" Karin yelled as she looked up towards where Sasuke stood. Instead of listening to her, he jumped off the pillar intending to go after Danzo. "Idiot, why are you attacking him head on!" The fist of Susano'o slammed into Danzo's body and another eye on his right arm closed.

"_Sasuke's trying to deactivate Danzo's jutsu quicker,"_ Hikari thought as she looked down at Danzo's body. _"Every time he is 'killed' another eye closes…" _

Danzo attacked Sasuke and in response, Sasuke threw multiple shuriken at him; Danzo's body disappeared and another eye closed. Sasuke activated Chidori and then further created a chakra-blade.

"How many Uchiha did you slaughter to get that right arm!" Sasuke demanded as he ran towards Danzo, armed and ready to kill him.

"It was Itachi that enabled me to get them!" Danzo yelled as he ran forwards as well.

"You _made _him do it!"

The two collided and ended up with each other's weapons imbedded in them.

"You were too early, my eye is still open. Go now and die, let Itachi lecture you," Danzo said as he began to pull his weapon out of Sasuke. "I win." Hikari's eyes widened, but she couldn't move; she knew Sasuke would not be defeated that easily. As if on cue, Danzo's eyes widened and he coughed up blood. "What's the meaning of this?" Danzo began to fall over and Sasuke smirked as he deactivated Chidori.

"You're the one who will see Itachi," Sasuke sneered.

Danzo leapt to his feet in order to attack Sasuke, but he fell to the ground in front of him.

"Sasuke's won!" Hikari whispered.

"Don't underestimate the Uchiha," Sasuke spat. After a moment, he fell. Hikari wasted no time running to his side.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she touched his arm.

Karin ran forwards and shoved her arm in front of Sasuke, which he bit down on and in response she yelled out loudly with a pink blush dusting her cheeks.

"Slut," Hikari uttered as she looked away from the scene with crossed arms.

"Oh my, what is he doing?" Hikari asked with widened eyes as a tree began to grow out of Danzo's arm. Danzo yelled and ripped his torso from the tree. "He lost his ability to control the cells," Hikari uttered. "It's like Midoriko."

"_If I were to ever extinguish all of my chakra, I would risk having the first Hokage's cells inside of my body take over; the wood element is like a parasite. Even though I am a direct descendant of Hashirama and carry the wood-gene, I am still no match for Hashirama's cells."_

"What a persistent guy," Karin said quietly as she watched Danzo stand up. He lifted his hand to unwrap the bandages around his head.

"Not yet," he said with a glare, "this is when we battle with our eyes." Sasuke ran at Danzo with Chidori, but instead of fighting Sasuke, Danzo headed for Karin and Hikari. Hikari jumped back the moment Danzo appeared next to them and instead of grabbing her, he grabbed Karin.

"You used your eyes too much, didn't you?" Danzo asked. "Your Sharingan is deactivated."

Hikari bit her lip; if she tried to help Karin, Danzo would crush her before she could.

"S-Sasuke," Karin gasped as she tried to breathe.

"Isn't it ironic that you, who glorified self-sacrifice, have taken a hostage?" Sasuke asked calmly.

"It's not that I consider my life precious," Danzo answered, "but for the sake of Konoha and the ninja world…I cannot afford to die here! I will be the one to create a new world of the Shinobi. For that cause, this woman will die here today!"

Karin began to tug on Danzo's sleeve and struggle.

"Sasuke, help me!"

"Don't move, Karin."

Hikari loudly gasped when she witnessed the Chidori pierce Danzo through Karin. Blood began to trickle down the girl's mouth and run in a line until it dripped off of her face.

Hikari swallowed and looked up at Sasuke; she knew one thing for sure, Danzo had intended to grab her, but she was too quick. However, her mind kept on screaming out in panic; if she were the one in that position, instead of Karin, would Sasuke have killed her too?

For the first time, Hikari was genuinely afraid of Sasuke; of all the times she had stuck to her ideals and told Sasuke to kill her, she never thought he could strike.


	57. The Fifty Seventh Passage

_**The Fifty-Seventh Passage:**_

Hikari looked at Karin who was motionless on the ground with dull eyes. Her mind repeated the look Sasuke had on his face when he did it, over and over; she feared that she too would see that look if something went wrong.

"Are you alright, Hikari?" Sasuke asked as he put his hand on her shoulder.

"That could have been me," she announced as she forced back tears and turned towards the Uchiha; she slapped his arm away from her shoulder. "You killed her, Sasuke! All she has ever done is help you and you murdered her in cold blood! I'm disgusted; I can't even look at you…"

"Hikari, that's nonsense. If it was you, I wouldn't have struck you," Sasuke said as he looked down at Karin. "She is not important."

"But I am only important because I'm breeding your line!" Hikari hissed as she pushed him away from her. "She was an innocent girl who devoted her future to helping your cause, and you murdered her! You're no better than Danzo."

Sasuke glared at her, and she was sure that if he wasn't so low on Chakra he would have activated his Sharingan.

"I've told you before; you need to choose a side," Sasuke snapped.

"I did!" Hikari yelled as she looked directly into his eyes, "but you've changed in ways I didn't even think was possible!"

"I'm avenging my family!"

"No! You're filling up the empty space in your heart with vengeance!" Hikari yelled. "Sasuke, you're taking me for granted and I hate it! You're taking your future child for granted! Do you think I'm invisible? Huh! You almost killed me at the Kage summit! Our enemy saved my life, saved your unborn child's life! What will you do when I die because you've completely lost your head, huh! I don't know who you are anymore, Sasuke; the person I see in front of me scares me. Do you understand what that implies? I don't feel safe around you," Hikari hissed as tears begun to sting her eyes; her whole body shook. "I don't feel safe around the father of my child, around the man I'm going to be stuck with the rest of my life! I can't live like this, Sasuke!"

Sasuke sighed and touched Hikari's face gently.

"I'm sorry, Hikari," he uttered. "I didn't know you were at the summit."

"That could have been me," Hikari whispered as she turned away from him and looked at Karin again. "I can't even help her because I have never tried to repair damaged cells stuck my lightning. They're cooked; I don't know what to do…" Sasuke walked past Hikari and looked down at Karin; she looked up at him with saddened eyes.

"Goodbye," Sasuke uttered as he activated a Chidori. Hikari closed her eyes and sighed; it was like he didn't hear a word come from her mouth.

"Sasuke!"

Hikari blinked and looked up; she was utterly shocked to see Sakura standing in front of them.

"It's you…" Sasuke said, still holding Chidori over Karin. Sasuke sighed and let go of the Jutsu. "What are you doing here, Sakura?"

"Sasuke, I'm coming with you! I'm deserting Konoha!"

…

"Yamato-taichou, I'll take it from here," Midoriko said with a kind smile as she walked into Naruto's room. Yamato looked unsure, but he was tired and needed rest. If she tried anything, the others were there too; someone other than him needed to make sure Naruto didn't go after Sakura and Kakashi.

"Yeah, okay, Midoriko," Yamato said as he stood up and left the room. Once he was gone, Midoriko sat down at Naruto's bedside.

"Today, I sensed a change in Hikari," Midoriko uttered. "Like you and Sasuke, Hikari and I are always connected, we share a strong bond. I can tell by a surge in her chakra that something is changing her. I am afraid she is about to break."

"Break?" Naruto asked quietly as he looked up at her from the futon he was resting on.

"Also…Sakura is approaching Hikari and Sasuke alone," Midoriko informed. "I don't think it's right the way they keep you locked up in here."

"I wanted to be like Sasuke," Naruto admitted quietly. "Back in the academy, he was always such a show off. It was nice when Hikari straightened him out…but now you say that Sasuke is wearing her down. I thought that Hikari might stand a chance, like you said."

"I don't think she has given up yet," Midoriko said with a small smile as she touched Naruto's hand. "I know why Hikari wanted to be your friend." Naruto looked up at Midoriko with dull eyes. "She saw hope in you and she saw a strong will- she saw a person who wouldn't let anything bring them down…she saw in you, what she saw in Sasuke that inspired her. You and Sasuke were alike, you just didn't see it. Hikari wants to be a person like that…I don't think she will give up on Sasuke because she wants to help him out of his darkness, but she also deeply loves him too. Can you imagine a love so strong that even when the person you love goes through metamorphosis and you're very core is weary of them, you still won't leave their side? Even if you think that one day they may kill you too? That's what it's like for Hikari. I can sense her fear by the way her chakra reacts to his, yet she won't leave him." Midoriko sighed and squeezed Naruto's hand. "She's trying, but she needs your help."

"You're a good friend to her, Midoriko," Naruto said quietly.

"And you're a good friend to Sasuke," Midoriko said with a nod. "You haven't given up on him yet, right? If you have too, you'll do what's right, though…"

"Right…"

"Hey, Midoriko, can I speak with you?" Midoriko looked over her shoulder and saw Sora looking in the room with weary eyes. Her smile grew when she saw him.

"Yeah," she said quietly as she stood. "I will see you later, Naruto."

…

"You've been around Naruto a lot lately," Sora started their conversation as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and kicked the snow.

"I see you still follow me around then," Midoriko said as her lips picked up into a smile. "Are you jealous, Sora-kun?"

"Not a chance," he responded smoothly. "I just wanted to know if there was anything going on between the two of you."

"So you can ask me on a date if there isn't?" Midoriko asked with a raised brow.

"No," Sora asked as he kicked himself mentally for responding too quickly. "I was just wondering why you two have been so chummy lately."

"Well, he is an interesting person," Midoriko said as she held her hands behind her back and smiled. "He seems all smiles and obnoxiousness, but when you talk to him, there is actually a lot of maturity underneath all of that."

"And that attracts you, why?" Sora asked with a confused frown.

"I guess it's because, like him, I was forced to grow-up too quickly as well," Midoriko said with a shrug. "Sometimes bad people do terrible things to other people who don't deserve it. I like to talk to Naruto; he strikes me as someone who would never think of himself as a victim. It's inspiring."

"Did someone do something bad to you?" Sora asked as he glanced at the blond girl from his peripheral vision.

Midoriko sighed and then looked at the ground.

"I'd rather not talk about it…"

"Alright, well I guess I will change the topic. Midoriko, I wanted to ask you something," Sora said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm not sure the next time I'm free, but I'd love to go out with you," Midoriko said as she perked up and wore a sly smile on her lips.

"Hey! You don't know if I was going to ask that!" Sora blurted out as pink stained his cheeks. "Who says that's what I was going to ask!" Midoriko's smile grew.

"I can tell by the way your cheeks are going red," Midoriko said as she grabbed both of Sora's hands.

"It's cold outside," he argued as he gestured to the snow around them.

"You haven't said what you were really going to ask me, so I have to assume I guessed correctly," Midoriko said with a smirk.

"I was going to ask something else!" Sora insisted with a pouty glare.

"Okay, prove it…ask me," Midoriko said as she folded her arms.

"Um, well you see, I wanted to ask you if you were planning on staying in Konoha after it was rebuilt or if you were going to go stay with Hikari…"

"Then you would lead up to asking me on a date if I choose the first option," Midoriko said with a smirk. "So both answers are yes. You're cute and I like you." Sora sighed and closed his eyes; he wasn't sure why he struggled to keep his words in line when he spoke to Midoriko. "You were fishing to see if I liked Naruto instead, but I promise I only have a crush on you right now."

Midoriko smirked and tilted forwards until her lips landed on his, in a soft and surprising kiss. His eyes flung open and widened, however, he didn't protest to the kiss; instead he leaned into and kissed her back as he wrapped his arms around her.


	58. The Fifty Eighth Passage

I am posting this a bit early because I am going to be really busy all weekend. I'd rather give this as an early treat, rather than late! Happy Holidays!

_**The Fifty-Eighth Passage:**_

"Seriously, Sakura?" Hikari yelled as she crossed her arms. "Do you see what happened to this girl?" Hikari pointed towards Karin. "This is what happens to useless additions."

Sasuke looked at Hikari with a smirk; it still amused him that she was so good at changing her emotions and mood at the drop of a hat.

"What do I get out of you coming along?" Sasuke asked as he looked at Sakura. "What are you plotting?"

Sakura was quick to defend herself.

"I'm not plotting anything! Ever since you left Konoha, I have regretted not coming with you!" Sakura exclaimed. "I'll do whatever you want! I don't want to have any more regrets!"

"Please tell me you're not actually considering this?" Hikari asked Sasuke as she walked to his side.

"And do you know what I want?" Sasuke asked Sakura with narrowed eyes.

"I don't care! I'll do whatever you want-"

"I'm going to destroy Konoha!" Sasuke said over her. Sakura's eyes widened. "That's what I want. Will you be able to betray Konoha for me?"

"Sasuke if you bring her on this squad, I'm leaving you," Hikari said abruptly as she crossed her arms.

"I'd do it if you asked me to!"

"Prove it," Sasuke demanded as he pointed to Karin. "Finish her off and I will believe you."

Sakura drew a Kunai and then looked at Sasuke.

"Who is she?"

"A former member of the group Taka, which I formed," Sasuke responded. "As you can see, she is useless. Sakura, you're a medical ninja are you not? This will work out just fine; you can replace her seeing as Hikari is not a member of my group."

"Hikari isn't a member?" Sakura asked as she looked at the older girl.

"No, I'm Akatsuki here on a mission of good-will," Hikari said bitterly.

Sakura began to walk forwards until she halted in front of Karin with her Kunai drawn.

"Well, what is it Sakura? You can't do it?" Sakura stood frozen as Sasuke began to walk around her. He lifted his hand and Hikari's eyes widened.

"Sasuke! Don't!"

Before Hikari could move to stop him, Kakashi flew into the scene and knocked the blazing Chidori away from Sakura's backside.

"How you've fallen, Sasuke," Kakashi said in a tone that Hikari recognised as utter disappointment.

Hikari realised that she was on the side of the 'enemy' and jumped next to Sasuke, facing off against Sakura and Kakashi; if she had to, she would fight them with Sasuke. She didn't have a choice.

"Heh, one after the other," Sasuke said as he stood up straight. "Don't fight, Hikari. You're in no condition."

"Says the guy who has almost personally handed my death to me three times today," Hikari responded bitterly. "What a nerve you have." Sasuke smirked in return.

"Stay back."

"Oh, whatever," Hikari said as she crossed her arms. "I have had just about enough of all of you today. First Madara, then Karin, Danzo, you and now these two…my head is going to explode if any more troublesome and/or annoying people come along."

"Sakura, you tried to kill Sasuke by yourself, didn't you?" Kakashi interrogated.

"So that's why she showed up here?" Hikari asked aloud. "She had me convinced; I thought she was being desperate as usual."

"I know your harsh words are false, Hikari," Kakashi said as he eyed his former house-mate.

"Oh great, here comes another round of 'we know you better than you know yourself, Hikari'," Hikari said as she put her hand on her hip and her other on her forehead. "Why don't you people ever listen to me? I should not have to say this every time we meet up, Kakashi."

"Sasuke, I don't like to repeat myself," Kakashi said as he looked directly at the Uchiha-boy, "but I will say this once more; do not become possessed by revenge."

Sasuke began to laugh and Hikari sighed.

"Does this ever end?"

"Itachi, my mother, my father…my entire clan, bring them all here! Do that and I'll quit right now!"

"Don't you see, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked as he shook his head. "Your family is standing right next to you; that girl has stuck by you as long as she has known you. Is that not your family?"

"It's not the same…" Sasuke said with a sneer.

"Oh, and there is another hit to my ego," Hikari said as she put her hand to her forehead.

"I don't want to kill you," Kakashi said with narrowed eyes.

"You talk like you could kill me at any time!" Sasuke challenged.

"Kakashi, you and Sakura do not stand a chance against us," Hikari said with a frown as she crouched into a fighting position. "If it comes down to you two or him, I'll rip you both apart."

"Stop acting like you're my sensei!" Sasuke said with a smirk. "I'm just itching to kill you."

"As the leader of cell seven, I will settle this myself," Kakashi said as he ripped off his cloak.

"I don't like repeating myself either," Sasuke said with narrowed eyes. "Stop acting like you're my sensei."

"I'll hang back, Sasuke," Hikari said as she looked up at him. "If you need me, I'll give you my blood but personally, I respect that this is your fight." Sasuke nodded and Hikari jumped back until she was several yards away from the two.

…

"Karin!" Hikari urgently whispered. "I'm here to help."

"You," Sakura said with widened eyes. "I thought-"

"You were pretty good at holding up a façade, Sakura," Hikari said quickly as she bit open her thumb and shoved it into Karin's mouth. "I learned from the best, though. I have to be like that or terrible things will happen to the people I value back in the leaf village-Sora, Asami and Hoshi. I'm trying, Sakura…I'm really trying to get him back on your side, but Sasuke has changed; you have to understand that. Sakura, I am begging you based on our past not to try and harm me physically, no matter what I may have to do to you…I know this sounds ridiculous, but I cannot afford to get hurt."

Sakura looked up at Hikari curiously.

"I'm pregnant, and it's the only thing I'm betting on…I think I may be able to change Sasuke with the appeal of a new family. However, I need this new family not to go anywhere." Hikari looked at Sakura with a very serious stare. "If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will rip out your tongue…understand?"

"Y-Yeah…I understand."

"Good," Hikari said as she stood up and ran towards the edge of the bridge. "I'm going to go down to the fight. He may need me, or worse…he may realise I'm gone."

…

"Sasuke!" Hikari yelled as she landed next to him. "Are you alright?"

"My sight," Sasuke uttered as he rubbed his eyes.

"Oh no, you activated Susano'o again didn't you?" Hikari asked as she rushed forwards and grabbed onto his arm. "You've overused your Sharingan, you're going blind. We have to get you to the hideout, my mother can help you!"

Hikari drew a sharp inhale of air when Sakura dropped behind Sasuke and held a kunai; she was rooted to her spot, completely frozen, she was unable to do anything to help the pink-haired girl.

Sasuke sensed Sakura behind him; he yanked his arm away from Hikari as he quickly turned around and grabbed Sakura by the throat, lifting her into the air.

"Sasuke! Don't!" Kakashi and Hikari yelled unanimously.

Before Sasuke could slit Sakura's throat, someone grabbed her into his arms and took off; shock reflected in his azure eyes.

"Naruto…"


	59. The Fifty Ninth Passage

Again, I will have no time this upcoming weekend to post, so better early than later. I may be nice and post a chapter on Christmas day, however, if I have the time. :)

_**The Fifty-Ninth Passage:**_

Hikari began to suck in air as if she had never taken a breath before. Her eyes began to blur as she watched Kakashi and Sasuke fight, forcing each other to the top of the bridge. Hikari bit her lip and held her head in one hand, trying not to let tears form in her eyes; for a half a second, she thought that Sasuke was going to kill Sakura. Hikari swallowed and looked towards Naruto. His eyes were widened and fixated on Sasuke who landed on the ground next to Hikari in the next second. The others stood on the other side of the bridge.

"Sasuke," Hikari breathed, "your eyes. We need to get out of here. You cannot fight in that condition. This is a _bad _idea."

Sasuke didn't respond, so Hikari hesitantly touched his arm. When he looked down at her, he was surprised to see that she was supressing tears; he could see so much sadness inside her and for a moment he wondered if it was all directed towards him.

"Please, Sasuke," Hikari whispered. "I don't want you to get hurt." Sasuke looked towards Naruto, so Hikari did too; she knew from the look in the blond boy's eyes that no matter how hard she tried to convince Sasuke to leave with her, he would not listen. Sasuke wanted to hurt his old team; Sasuke wanted to hurt everyone to make them understand the pain he was feeling. He was not about to leave this place.

"Sasuke, Sakura is a fellow shinobi of cell seven!" Naruto yelled.

"'Was' a fellow shinobi…I no longer belong to that group," Sasuke said with a smirk.

Naruto walked forwards and stood in front of Sakura.

"Sasuke…"

"What?"

"I heard the truth about Itachi from a guy named Tobi…and Hikari," Naruto said.

Hikari's eyes widened and her entire body tensed as she jumped back in time to miss a heated glare from Sasuke and perhaps something more dangerous; her mind was in chaos at all times and she could not trust Sasuke to not go off the deep-end when she felt he was barely balancing on the edge of reality.

"Don't you dare!" Hikari yelled as she bit open her thumb. "I'm not afraid of you, Sasuke! I wanted no part in telling him. Tobi made me."

"Tobi?" Sasuke asked as he looked back at Naruto.

"Yes, that's why I was gone when you entered the summit," Hikari explained as she relaxed all of her muscles. "I begged him not to say a word; Itachi wouldn't have wanted anyone from Konoha to know. You know me, Sasuke…I respect him too much."

Sasuke nodded as he looked back towards Naruto and then frowned. Hikari swallowed and then sighed with relief. After a second or two, she began to walk forwards until she was by Sasuke's side again; for the smallest of moments, she thought he wouldn't believe her.

"Do you need to be healed?"

"No."

"I don't know for sure if what he said is true or not," Naruto began again after he took his eyes away from Hikari. "It doesn't matter. However, what you've been doing is…understandable…"

Hikari instantly realised that had Sasuke tensed; his fists curled into tight balls and his presence became a lot_ darker_.

"I have already told you before, Naruto," Sasuke said with a glare, "you don't have parents or siblings, you cannot possibly understand me. Outsiders can stay out of it!"

Sakura stood to her feet and glared at Sasuke.

"Do you know what Naruto has gone through for you! No matter what rumours we hear about you, he never stops thinking of you like his friend…" Sakura's facial expression eased and turned to sadness. "While everyone targeted you, Naruto tried to save you. Even now…"

"Rescue me? From what?" Sasuke asked with a cruel smile.

"From revenge," Naruto spoke as he looked up at Sasuke. Sasuke was taken aback by his statement. "I swear I will save you from the chaos of vengeance!"

"Hn. There's no need for that," Sasuke responded. "The stage has already been set up for my vengeance to happen!"

Kakashi, Sakura, and Naruto gasped and looked towards Sasuke; they didn't have a clue what he meant, so he elaborated.

"Just a little while ago, I finally got to take revenge on one of Itachi's enemies," Sasuke said as his cruel smile grew; it made Hikari's heart twist to see him with such an expression. When she thought about truly being with Sasuke for the rest of her life, her brain panicked and every instinct in her body told her to run, but her heart refused to move. She would not go anywhere until she helped Sasuke. "I killed a high-ranking elder of Konoha; someone named Danzo." Sasuke raised his forearms into the air and smiled. "I've never felt like this before…it feels like the tainted Uchiha name is being cleansed. I feel the Uchiha getting free from this rotting shinobi world. You guys could never understand. Wouldn't you say I'm doing what you Konoha shinobi have wanted all along? You have always snubbed and put down the Uchiha; I will help erase the Uchiha from your memories! I'm going to kill all of you and destroy Konoha!"

Hikari closed her eyes and focused on just breathing; she hated hearing those words leave him mouth. Every time she heard them, she felt sick; mentally and physically.

"Destroying Konoha is the ultimate purification for Konoha…it shall lead to the Uchiha's true restoration…"

…

"Sasuke your body cannot withstand another battle!" Hikari urged as she watched a Chidori blaze to life in his hand.

Sasuke pushed past Hikari and walked towards Kakashi. Hikari ran in front of Sasuke and put both of her arms out, blocking his way.

"You cannot fight!" she hissed. "You're going to die. I'll be damned if I let him grow up fatherless because you're a bloodthirsty moron!"

Naruto suddenly grabbed onto Kakashi and then ran forwards with a Rasengan aimed.

Sasuke shoved Hikari out of the way with his shoulder and ran past her; however the Chidori on his hand brushed over her chest. Her eyes widened as the electrical current filled her body and she let out a harsh scream. She was sent flying back and skidding into the water; her body began to sink; she couldn't do anything, her muscles were non-responsive. She just watched as Sasuke collided with Naruto. Tears filled her eyes to the brim and then spilled over, flowing down her cheeks and into the water. Her eyes began to feel heavy, but before she could fall asleep, a head of pink hair appeared before her vision. Sakura's voice sounded far away, and the glowing green light that came from the Konoha kunoichi's hand looked distorted.

Hikari closed her eyes and saw Itachi's face. He was talking, but she couldn't make out his words nor could she hear him, however seeing him made her heart wrench.

She felt someone grab her hand and squeeze, but she didn't want to hold on any longer; it hurt too much to live by Sasuke's side. She was sure it couldn't hurt more than it did already, she was sure that giving in and going to Itachi would be the most peace she had felt in the last six months. However, in the back of her mind she heard a child's laughter; the sound eased the pain in her heart.

For the sake of showing Sasuke that it could all be different and for the sake of her child she opened her eyes again. She would not give up, if it was the last thing she did, she would make a home for her child; one where they could be safe and enjoy the peace Itachi died for.

…

"I've completed the surgery," Shizuka said with a sigh as she took of the surgical gloves and mask she was wearing. "Sasuke now has Itachi's eyes, like you asked."

"Did you treat Hikari?" Madara asked as he looked up at the Koizumi-woman.

Her eyes fell to the floor.

"Yes, I did," she said softly. "She lost the child."

**Chapter End Notes:**  
>This chapter actually made me really sad, but believe it or not, this is the scene that I imagined Hikari's whole story around. The first thing that came to me was Sasuke accidentally striking her with Chidori as a clear picure in my head. Huh, 95 chapters later (Hebi No Ko and this story) I finally get to it. Feedback, please?<p> 


	60. The Sixtieth Passage

I am so sorry I was not able to get this out yesterday. I was having issues with my computer (which is still unexplained) however, I got it working today. Enjoy!

_**The Sixtieth Passage:**_

Hikari took in a sharp breath of air when she felt someone's fingertips brush her brow. When she opened her eyes, she saw Sasuke with bandages over his.

"W-What happened?"

"You accidentally received the blow of my Chidori," Sasuke responded.

"I know what happened to me," she said bitterly. "I meant you."

"Your mother transplanted Itachi's eyes in replacement for my own," Sasuke answered.

"You should be resting then," Hikari said as she sat up and brushed his hand off her in the process; he could tell by the tone in her voice that she was trying to hold back her disgust with his news.

"You're angry."

"You think?" Hikari retorted as she scrunched her brow together in an attempt not to start yelling. "You have no self-control, Sasuke!"

It struck him as odd that she was more angry about the events of his fight with Danzo and the Leaf, rather than the fact that he took Itachi's eyes; he wondered if that would settle in later and cause a new argument.

"I was careless," he admitted quietly. "I'm sorry."

Hikari closed her eyes and her hands began to shake; she tightened them into fists.

"I am so angry right now, Sasuke," Hikari uttered. "I don't want to accept your apology; sorry is _not _good enough this time. I don't even want to be around you right now!" Hikari sighed and then opened her eyes. "However, I have to stay strong, so I cannot allow room for anger…" Hikari looked over her shoulder at Sasuke. "I'll say this once Sasuke, because if I have to repeat myself, I will feel like you never listened to me in the first place. I am the mother of your unborn child; I am the one who is carrying the future of the Uchiha-clan. Do you want that all to slip away from you? Do you want to lose me? I came so close to letting myself die that the only way I could convince myself to live was for _my_ child. I am not an object; I am not just some toy you can use and then dispose of. I am a human being, Sasuke. I have feelings and emotions. You have pushed me too far; my love for you is so twisted because I cannot bear to be away from you, yet I die a little more each day while I am by your side," tears began to well in Hikari's eyes and her voice started to become strained. "I love you, but you're killing me, Sasuke."

Sasuke's hands wrapped around her form and he embraced her; something about the way her voice broke struck him like a fresh slap across his cheek. The sting of her words was almost unbearable, but not as much as the sound of her tears and the sorrow in her voice. From the moment Sasuke had met Hikari he knew she was independent and strong; however, now that he had caused her all the pain he did, she sounded so _broken_ and he hated himself for it.

"This means everything to me," he said as he brushed his hands over her stomach.

"Don't lie to me," she whispered in return; her words were like ice. "Revenge means everything to you."

"Restoring my clan is the most important thing I have to do in my life," Sasuke retorted.

"Right, sure it is, just after you kill everyone who has ever meant anything to you!" Hikari said bitterly as her voice raised in her struggle to remain calm. "You practically killed Karin and then tried to kill Sakura twice. It's funny how it was Sakura who healed me to the point of keeping me alive and she did this even though you tried to kill her; she saved your child from your own attack!"

"I did not mean for it to hit you!" Sasuke argued back as he let go of her. He closed his eyes out of frustration with himself and her; he wanted nothing more than to react on his impulses and make her hurt too. Her words were her greatest weapon and she loved to use them against him. He wanted to spit his pain back at her and have his words pierce her like hers did to him.

"No, you didn't even see me there," Hikari said as she tried to supress tears, "all you saw was a way to kill Naruto. I meant nothing to you in that moment…our child meant nothing."

"You don't know that!" Sasuke yelled as he slammed his fist down onto the bed she had been laying on.

"You're going to delay your recovery," Hikari said as she stood up and began to walk away from him.

"Wait, Hikari," Sasuke said with a sigh. "Just stay here with me."

"Why?" Hikari asked with a sigh. "What's the point, Sasuke?"

"Hikari, I swear I care about you," Sasuke said as he walked towards her; he was careful to keep his balance and made sure not to bump into anything, however, he was desperate to make this stop; he didn't like the way she was talking. Even when they weren't together, she had never sounded so _tired_; she had never sounded as if she were about to give in. She had never sounded like she didn't love him.

Sasuke grabbed onto her wrist and pulled her into his chest.

"I won't put you at risk, again, Hikari. You have to know I would never do that."

Hikari sighed and nodded; something about the gesture reeked that she was just caving in for him. He sensed that she pushed down everything she was feeling and just gave into his will and something about that was worse than hearing how upset she was.

"I know…I-I know…" she uttered as she looked towards the ground tiredly; she knew she was not ready to give in, but she didn't know what else she could possibly say to him that would register; he was far beyond the point of reason for most things. She just wanted the fighting to stop; she just wanted to be alone.

Sasuke kissed her head and gripped her closely to him as if she was going to disappear.

"You're the only bond I don't want to break."

…

"Hikari, may I talk to you for a moment…outside. Let's go for a walk."

"I don't know, Shizuka…I need to stay around just in case something goes wrong with Sasuke," Hikari said as concentrated on the paper she was reading in her hands; on it was Sasuke's medical information.

Shizuka grabbed onto her daughter's wrist and strained to stress the importance of her request with her eyes.

"Please, Hikari," she whispered.

"Alright," Hikari said as she folded the paper and pocketed it. "Let's just go and get this over quickly."

…

Shizuka and Hikari walked in silence until they were a comfortable distance from the Akatsuki base and the spies Shizuka feared.

"I have something important to tell you, Hikari," Shizuka confessed as she looked away from the surrounding brush and into her daughter's eyes.

"Alright, let's hear it then," Hikari said as she folded her arms and sighed.

"Madara knows about your pregnancy," her mother whispered. Silence settled as she waited for the impact of her statement to kick in.

"W-What?" Hikari asked with widened eyes.

"He figured it out very quickly…before I did," Shizuka continued. "I just have one question to ask; do you know who the father is?"

"Sasuke," Hikari said without a doubt. "The timeline doesn't match up for it to be Itachi's son."

"Son?" Shizuka asked with a raised brow.

"It's just a feeling," Hikari uttered as she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "How did he find out?"

"How should I know?" Shizuka asked with an airy sigh. "However, you shouldn't worry about that."

"What are you talking about?" Hikari hissed as her fists tightened. "I guess my son will get used to calling him 'great-grandpa Madara'; is that what I am supposed to settle with?"

"Sasuke and Madara are not related," Shizuka said sternly.

"Whatever then, it still doesn't solve my problem," Hikari said bitterly. "I will not raise my son in the Akatsuki!"

"And you won't have to if you will just shut up and let me speak!" Shizuka said with a raised voice as she narrowed her eyes. After she was sure Hikari would not interrupt her, she continued. "He doesn't think you are anymore."

"How?" Hikari asked as she bit her lip.

"When you came back from your mission with Sasuke, I lied to him…I told him you lost your child when Sasuke struck you with the Chidori," Shizuka explained. "In reality, you saved your child by using the technique we have been practicing."

"What are you talking about?" Hikari asked with an upturned brow. "Sakura saved him."

"You mean you weren't aware of what you did?" Shizuka asked with a raised brow. "You used your powers without using your blood; you freely manipulated your chakra and made Sasuke's jutsu alter its path away from your womb. You saved your child, not the kunoichi who healed you."

"Madara thinks that he's dead?" Hikari asked herself as she bit her lip. "He won't think that long if I stay here though, will he?"

"You're still relatively early in your pregnancy…" Shizuka uttered. "You're just starting your second trimester, you're going to start showing soon, but that baggy shirt you wear will hide it for a while. However, you can feel safe for about a month because your body would need time to revert to normal if the child really had died."

"But you're saying I need to get out of here before then," Hikari uttered.

"I don't want you to just run off; that will look suspicious…" Shizuka uttered. "I want you to go on a mission and then slip out from the radar."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Hikari asked with a frown.

"I will make sure nothing happens to you," Shizuka said firmly.

"Why are you doing all of this for me?" Hikari asked weakly. "How could you lie so bluntly to the person you have always loved?"

"I have said this many times," Shizuka whispered, "I may love Madara, but I love no one more than you." Shizuka touched the side of her daughter's face while her eyes began to prickle with tears. "All of the love I possess is for you, Hikari. You're my entire world; you have been my entire world since the moment I laid eyes on you. I want my grandchild to grow up away from this circle of hatred and fear. I want him to be so much better than we are. I want him to be your mirror image- the world needs more people like you, Hikari."

"What about Sasuke? What am I going to tell him, mom?" Hikari asked as she closed her eyes and bit her lip.

"You need to think about what is best for him now," Shizuka said as she touched Hikari's stomach. "It's not only you anymore, my dear."

"I can't just leave him, mom, not ever again," Hikari said weakly. "Despite who Sasuke is, I love him with all of my being; I can't choose between my son and him."

"I never said you had to," Shizuka said as she put her hand on Hikari's shoulder. "I said to think about what's best."

"I don't want Kuraiho to grow up without his father," Hikari whispered. "I want to raise him properly, like a family. I want him to be so surrounded with love that he will never be like his father. I want him to live in the peace his uncle died for; that's what I want for my son. Sasuke's apart of that and it's what's best for him."

"If that is what's best for your son, then so be it," Shizuka said with a nod. "I am so proud of you, Hikari. You have no idea how strong you are. You have no idea how much you will surpass me and how much you will have to teach your children." Hikari sniffled and held back tears. "Kuraiho? That's going to be his name?"

"Despite everything his father is, I want his name to honour the technique Itachi gave to Sasuke…I want Kuraiho to know who he came from. I won't lie to him, I will tell him everything that happened to his clan and he will light up a new flame that no one has ever seen. If Sasuke cannot carry on Itachi's will, then Kuraiho will."

"And people said I have had high expectations of my children," Shizuka said with a sigh. Hikari smiled and nodded.

"I want nothing but the best for him; like you have wanted nothing but the best for me...I guess we're more alike than I like to admit."

"You will be a better mother than I ever was, know that," Shizuka said with a smile. "Plenty sets us apart. Now let's go back, before Madara gets suspicious."

"Alright…and thank you, mother…"

"It was my pleasure; you are my daughter, after all."

**Chapter End Notes:**  
>See? I'm not evil enough to kill Kuraiho. :). However, ShizukaKameyo is quite the liar, isn't she? Perhaps nothing she claims is credible. Who knows, ne? Feedback, please


	61. The Sixty First Passage

I am so so so so so so sorry that this is a week late. Unfortunately, through the break I got no work on this done because I was so focused on getting school work done. Expect for a slow down until after Jan 29. That is when my last exam for semester one happens and then I should be able to write so much more. Again, my deepest apologies to all of my readers! Thanks for the patience!

Story:  
><em><span><strong>The Sixty-First Passage:<strong>_

When Hikari couldn't see Sasuke's eyes, the feeling was bittersweet; on the one hand, he looked like a normal man when she couldn't see the hatred swimming in their depths. On the other, Sasuke displayed all of his emotions with his eyes; hate, anger, love, sadness, happiness, and loneliness. Hikari felt she would start to miss seeing all of those things if his eyes were covered by his blindfold too long.

"Sasuke, sit up," Hikari said gently as she touched his shoulder. "Let me heal you, okay?"

"I'm fine, don't waste your energy on me," Sasuke responded as he touched the hand she had lain on his shoulder; her skin was as soft as a rose-petal. He realised he had missed the feeling of it while he was so caught up with destroying Konoha; he had missed her.

"Don't lie to me, Sasuke," Hikari said strongly. "I know you need healing. You may not have any more endangering physical wounds, but your body is strained and tired. I will help you get better with barely any energy on my part."

Sasuke sighed and sat up from his bed. He unzipped his shirt and then turned to Hikari.

She bit her thumb open and pressed the oozing crimson liquid to his lips; he took the appendage into his mouth and began to draw the blood in. She was sure it was revolting, but it had to be done.

Hikari pulled her hand away and then began the process of reenergising his muscles and healing any minor wounds she came across.

"Done," she said with a smile after some time of standing there in front of him as she took her hands away. "See, that was not so hard, right?"

Sasuke touched her hands and then began to grip them firmly in his own. He let go with one hand and slid it up her arm until he found her face, there he caressed the soft skin of her cheek. He felt a smile spread onto her face as she tentatively touched his hand with her own free one. After a moment, she gained confidence and tightened her hold.

"I love you," she whispered as she leaned down and kissed his lips. "Please don't forget that, Sasuke."

"I couldn't," he responded in a whisper as he continued to caress her cheek.

"I know you do too," she said quietly as she averted her eyes from the white cloth that covered his, "even if you have an odd way of showing it."

Sasuke simply nodded in return while he took his other hand out of hers and slid it onto her stomach. He touched his forehead to hers and sighed.

"_I almost killed my own child…"_ he thought to himself; how he had almost killed something so precious with his own hands was beyond his comprehension. Now that he looked back on it, he couldn't even remember the incident clearly.

"It's alright," Hikari said lightly. "I know you're trying, Sasuke."

He didn't feel like he was trying hard enough.

"I almost killed you," he whispered as the hand on her cheek began to shake. "I almost killed our child, Hikari. How is that alright?"

"Because we forgive you," she said with a bright smile. "We always will; you're all we have left, just like we are all you have left. We need to stick together rather than fall apart. I am so tired of holding grudges and being upset with you- it's not worth my energy and it could hurt the baby if I am too stressed. I want this to work, Sasuke. I just hope that you do too."

Sasuke nodded and leaned against her shoulder and he hugged her frame close to his.

Somewhere in the room, someone cleared their throat. Hikari turned towards the noise and saw her mother standing in the doorway.

"Madara would like to see you," she said calmly as she began to walk towards Sasuke. "I'm going to check up on his eyes, you go see what he wants."

"Alright," Hikari said with a small sigh that only Sasuke seemed to notice. "I'll be back, Sasuke."

…

"I'm sorry to hear about your loss," Madara said as he watched Hikari as if he was a hawk watching a mouse- he was waiting for some kind of slip up and she could see that, so she didn't give him one. "I'm surprised you never said anything about your pregnancy, I could have avoided sending you on the mission that took the child's life; you understand that, don't you?"

"I do," Hikari said without hesitation, "but I would rather not talk about what went wrong. Even I cannot change the past."

"But perhaps you will be wearier in the future?" Madara asked slowly.

"I am afraid that my job here does not allow room for children," Hikari said bitterly, "miscarriage is a potential threat I will always have to face while I am in your service."

"If you would have said something, I would not have made you work for me any longer," Madara said as he folded his hands and tucked them beneath his chin.

Hikari noted that he looked comfortable sitting in his candle-lit corner, but his words were laced with false comfort- he was suspicious if she was still pregnant and he was fishing for an answer to his suspicions; she would not give him the answer he hoped for.

"Well, I guess that is something to keep in mind for the future," Hikari said as her eyes fell to the floor.

"Additional Uchiha are important," Madara said as his eyes dropped to her abdomen. "A new generation is important. Think of the new start the Uchiha could have- it's too bad that you threw that away by not saying a word…was it because you don't trust me, Hikari?"

"No, it was because I simply did not tell anyone until recently. I was not in the hideout when it happened and I have not been in the hideout for months. You did not know because of a lack of communication," Hikari answered firmly.

"Perhaps we need to establish better means of communication then, after all, you where my mole in Sasuke's little squad; he wasn't exactly allied with the Akatsuki until now. I truly believe you did a good job bringing him to our side, Hikari."

"I had nothing to do with his choices," Hikari said with distaste.

"Wrong," Madara shot back at her. "Sasuke knows that you are my soldier. He wants to be with you, therefore, a taste of you presence on his team set the Akatsuki's relationship with team Taka in motion. You are really the person to thank for Sasuke's allegiance."

"I will not agree with that theory," Hikari said as she crossed her arms and glared. It was as if Madara knew her so thoroughly that he knew what hurt her the most and he knew exactly where to strike in order to cripple her; the thought of him knowing her mind so intimately frightened her.

"I brought you with me to talk to Naruto in order to test your abilities at manipulation, again you proved as such a useful tool…your protesting against me made all of the shinobi from Konoha believe me about Itachi's truth. You truly make people want to believe what you say, Hikari. That's what I need you to utilise on this next mission I am sending you on…"

"What?" Hikari asked as she narrowed her eyes.

"As you know, we're going to war against the allied shinobi nations. I want you to go to the front lines and do what you do best. When the war begins, I need you there to convince the Shinobi you know of a terrible trap that's in place…you're going to help me kill hundreds of ninja and win this war, do you understand?"

"Excuse me?" Hikari barked as she crossed her arms and continued to glare.

"Since when do you think that I am so good at manipulating people? I thought that was your special, Madara."

"Silence, girl," Madara ordered with a glare. "You will do exactly as I say; do you understand me, Hikari?" Hikari tried very hard to resist the urge to bite her lip as her hand caught fire; the pale skin stretching across her fingers and palm was lit up in a bright blue flame and it made tears prick in her eyes. For the sake of her child, and for the sake of keeping her hand, she swallowed her pride.

"Just a little taste of your demise so we continue to see eye to eye," Madara said as he eyed her as she struggled to not react to the pain of her hand being engulfed in flames.

"Yes, I understand," she said quietly as her eyes dropped to the floor.

"Good," Madara said as he shifted in his chair; the flames immediately ceased as soon as she submitted to his will. "I am glad we have come to an understanding."

"What do I have to do?" Hikari asked with defeat in her eyes.

"Eventually Naruto is going to show his face, and when he does, I need you to ensnare him in your grasp. I need the nine-tails, and I want you to bring him to me so that we may extract the Kyuubi and end his miserable existence," Madara uttered as he watched her with his usual calculating gaze; but she refused to break under it.

Memories began to flash behind Hikari's eyes and suddenly the nostalgia hit her; Hikari realised as she exited the room that she had practically been given the same mission that had gotten her into this mess so many years ago; once again, she had to find and help kill Naruto Uzumaki- the fox-boy.

End Notes: I love seeing all of the support you guys give me! You're amazing! Please give me feedback, it means the world and more to me! :D


	62. The Sixty Second Passage

Author's Notes: Sorry I am late again, but until my projects are out of the way and I can get ahead on my writing, it's going to kind of be post-when-can. However, I have standards and will try not to let it get out of hand, alright? I hope you guys understand!  
><em><span><strong>The Sixty-Second Passage:<strong>_

Hikari sat in a chair next to the bed Sasuke slept in; she had been there for what seemed like decades, holding her head in her hands.

Sasuke had fallen asleep hours ago, she could tell by the way his breathing had calmed. She thought that sitting next to him would help her calm down and think, but all it did was make the implications of going to the battlefield linger in the forefront of her mind; she could be killed and her son could be killed.

"_I don't ever want you to look upon war."_

Those particular words that Itachi spoke replayed over and over again. She never thought she would have to worry about war, but it seemed that Madara wanted her to worry about every possibility that could cause her harm.

When she heard Itachi's voice in her mind, her heart was sick with aching; it almost felt like she was homesick, like the way she missed Konoha sometimes, but she knew she would never see Itachi again and that was what broke her and brought her to tears.

Sasuke awoke with a jolt when he heard Hikari's sobs. He found her by ear and realised that she was sitting close to where he lay. In the next second, she was embracing him and crying into his chest.

"I can't take this anymore!" she choked out.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly as he ran his fingers through her shoulder-length hair; he was alarmed by her sudden outburst more than anything else.

"I feel so broken," she said as her fingers dug into his shoulders. "Why do all of these things happen to me? Did I do something terrible in a past life?"

Sasuke did not know what to say to her outburst, he felt like things were finally going smoothly between them; he didn't understand why she was so frantic and upset.

"Hikari, calm down and tell me what's bother you," Sasuke demanded after he listened to her sob some more. He hated it when she cried; every time, he felt like he had caused it; maybe it was because he had caused her tears far too many times before.

"Madara's sending me into combat," Hikari said in a strained tone.

"You need to tell him you're pregnant," Sasuke answered without much thought.

"That's what he wants me to do!" Hikari said as she raised her voice and tightened her grip on the Uchiha beneath her. "He only made this my mission because he wanted me to admit that I was faking the death of our child!"

"Then tell him you're faking, I will not let you go into combat and risk our child's life because you do not want Madara to know!" Sasuke said as he glared at her; it was simple logic, Madara had beaten them.

"Don't you understand what happens if Madara knows?" Hikari asked as more tears welled in her eyes. "He will use my son against me. He knows that I am seeking a way out of this curse and he knows that I will eventually succeed. If he feels that this curse cannot keep a leash on me, he will take our son, Sasuke. Do you want that?"

"Son?" Sasuke asked, taken aback.

"Yes! We're going to have a boy!" Hikari said in a frustrated tone, "and I was going to name him Kuraiho, but I won't get that chance if he dies because of Madara!"

"If it means the safety of our son," Sasuke said slowly, "reassure Madara you're not going anywhere."

It was Hikari's turn to be taken aback.

"Y-You don't want me to break the curse?" she asked in a whisper.

"If it means the death of our son, no, I don't," Sasuke answered sternly.

"So you want me to be chained to Madara and then have a baby in an organization of criminals?" Hikari asked as she bit her lip.

"If it will keep my son safe, yes," Sasuke said; he was annoyed and impatient with Hikari's lack of understanding. He had made his feelings so clear.

Hikari sat up abruptly and got off of the bed.

"I am so sick of the way you mistreat me," Hikari said bitterly. "You want me to stay here for the rest of my life? You want me to raise my son in the Akatsuki? I've had enough, I'm leaving you."

Now Sasuke sat up too, because he could tell by the tone of her voice that this was no empty threat; she was completely serious and he realised that she would do anything for their son, even if she determined that anything meant leaving him. That was not an option for Sasuke, he would be damned if he let her take his child away from him; she had the future of the Uchiha, she had his family, his only family. Absolutely no one would take that away; Sasuke was tired of having things taken away. So, instead of following his instincts and going to Madara himself he calmed himself; he knew how stubborn Hikari was.

"What do you want me to do, Hikari?" Sasuke asked as he clenched his fists.

"Let you go off to war? What happens if you're killed? What happens if the child is killed?"

"I have more of an inside job," Hikari said as she began to turn around. "There are people there who I can convince to protect me."

"Hikari, I didn't mean that I wanted you to be controlled your entire life," Sasuke said with a sigh. "I just meant that maybe you can hold out awhile longer."

"Two years," Hikari said bitterly, "two years I have held on a little longer…I can't do that anymore. I will go insane."

"You have to, Hikari!" Sasuke yelled as he gripped her shoulders. "He is my son too!"

"He may be your son, but I will not have Madara raise him because of you," Hikari said bitterly. "Whether you like it or not, I am going to leave this place and I am going to go onto that battlefield, because **our** son has more of a fighting chance there than here; if will not let him be controlled his entire life too. If I can just get away while the fighting goes on, I can go into hiding and have the baby there."

"You want to go into hiding?" Sasuke asked with a sigh.

"Yes, I want to disappear and raise him right, the way you should have been loved; he needs to have the life you should have had…I can't play criminal anymore, Sasuke, not if I am going to be a mother."

"What do you plan to do?" Sasuke asked as his eyes fell to her rounded-stomach that was just barely showing through her baggy-shirt.

"When I get to the battlefield, I am going to do what Madara has told me to do so I don't die and then instead of returning here, I am going to slip away to somewhere he will never think to look for me," Hikari said as she swallowed her nerves.

"Take your mother with you," Sasuke said with a sigh as he laid down again; he knew he wasn't going to win this fight and he didn't think he could bear losing her in the middle of the night again. "I can't stop you from going, but I will be damned if you get killed."

"Alright," Hikari said with a nod. "I will take Shizuka."

"I will come as soon as I am able…"

Those words made Hikari's stomach drop and her body paused for a moment to let the shock wear away. Sasuke was going to join the war and kill the people she cared about; once again she had found herself in a position where she wished to speak out against him, but she realised that she couldn't say anything more than what she already had, there was simply nothing left.

"Right," she said as she buried all of the emotions she was feeling, because somewhere deep down, she knew she was going to be responsible for their deaths too.

She had this feeling that she would not be able to escape her mission this time, she knew she would have to hurt the people that had once cared so passionately for her and there was nothing she could do about it. Her heart throbbed and in that moment she truly wished she could speak to Itachi; she was confident that he would know what to do, but she realised again that he was never coming back and she had to figure out what to do on her own.

…

"Did you tell him?" Shizuka asked her daughter as she packed her weaponry and essential mission-tools into her pouches.

"Not completely," Hikari admitted as she bit her lip and secured her pack.

"So he doesn't know where you plan to go?"

"No, but I'm sure he will figure it out and once he does, he will not be happy," Hikari said with a sigh. "Have you contacted Midoriko?"

"Yes," Shizuka said with a nod of her head, "she is willing; she knows it is her duty." Hikari dropped her eyes to the ground. "I'm trying, Hikari. I know you don't want to lose her, but if the shinobi world has taught you anything, it's that sometimes sacrifice is essential to survival…"

"Yeah, because that went so well the last time I saw it played out…"

End Notes: So...they're planning something, does anyone have an idea as to what? Leave a review, let me know what you think!


	63. The Sixty Third Passage

Author's Notes: I am so sorry this is so late, in truth I had it done half a week ago, but my internet has been down until today. Anyways, the next chapter might be done on time because my final exams are tomorrow and the next day, then I have the rest of the week off if I am not too busy. Thanks for reading.

_**The Sixty-Third Passage:**_

Midoriko let an usual sigh escape her lips. Her eyes flicked over her things while her heart beat quickened; she realised that she had waited so long to come back to her life in Konoha, only to have it taken away so quickly.

She had made so much progress dealing with her past, she was beginning to stop suspecting all male strangers of the worst; she had even begun to truly trust Sora.

Sora…how could she possibly tell him? How could she say that she was going to leave him for Hikari's sake? How could she tell him she would never see him again?

Midoriko pushed her thoughts out of her head; she was never one for planning everything out to the last detail. She figured that, sometimes, she had to improvise in order to obtain the outcome she wanted.

Midoriko felt that in this particular situation, it was best not to say anything to Sora because she knew he would stop her from leaving; it didn't feel right for her to lie though, so naturally, she was stuck.

However, life seemed to be working against her lately and decided to choose for her.

"Are you okay?"

Midoriko blinked and turned around to see Sora with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Yeah," she said with an easy smile; she was always so good at smiling. "Why do you ask?"

"You looked lost in thought," he said with a shrug. "Normally when people have that kind of look on their face, they're thinking about something that upsets them."

"Oh?" Midoriko asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah," he said as he approached her and touched her face. "You never look this

troubled; tell me what's on your mind…"

Midoriko sighed.

"I can't Sora," Midoriko replied quietly as she turned away from him. "I have to go away for a while…"

"Really?"

"Yes, all available shinobi in the village are being prepared for this alliance and I have been given a special mission to make sure that it holds up…" Midoriko said as she crossed her arms.

She waited for his reply, chewing on the inside of her lip in the process.

"Are you allowed to tell me what it is?" Sora asked as he touched her shoulders and began to run his fingers up and down her upper arms.

Midoriko sighed and bit her lip as turned to face him again.

"I have to find and kill Hikari…"

…

"We have to go, Hikari," Shizuka snarled at her daughter in a hushed voice; she was incredibly irritated with her daughter's reluctance to leave.

"I have to say goodbye," Hikari said as she walked towards Sasuke's room. "It will only take a minute, I promise."

"Hikari, do not let it slip to him where we are going," Shizuka stressed. "If Madara figures it out through Sasuke, we're _dead _women."

"I know," Hikari said as her eyes fell to the floor, "but I cannot leave here without saying goodbye to him. It's not right."

"Remember what's more important," her mother said with an airy sigh, "it certainly is not him."

"He is important to me and sooner or later, you're going to have to accept that," Hikari barked back, straining to keep her tone hushed. "Even though sometimes I hate him, Sasuke has been a part of my life for almost four years; I cannot deny that he is a part of me, especially now that we have Kuraiho on the way."

"I know how you feel, but I need you to be careful when it comes to Sasuke right now," Shizuka said as she crossed her arms, "he is completely unstable."

"How would you feel?" Hikari asked in return. "He has lost everything…no one can ever understand how he feels about all of this; it's tearing him apart."

"You're right, I wouldn't know," Shizuka said bitterly. "Everyone whom I have ever cared about has betrayed me. I have lived a long life and you'd think I'd be bitterer than he is, apparently, that's not the case though."

"He's been hurt by all of those he knew," Hikari said with a shrug, "it's understandable."

"Understandable does not equal right. What happens when you do something that crosses a line?" Shizuka asked in return with a raised brow. "What happens when he figures out where you are taking his child? Don't you see how betrayed he would feel? Don't you see who you will become to him? Hikari, after today, you will become his enemy as well."

Hikari tried to supress tears because she knew her mother was right; Sasuke would hate her for what she was planning. She'd be lucky if he didn't kill her. Despite all of these facts she knew to be true, she refused to cry. It made her feel weak and weak was far from what she saw herself as.

"I have to," Hikari said as she gritted her teeth. "This is what's right for Kuraiho…this is what's safest. Sasuke will not kill me if I am only hiding…if I am willing to come back, he will forgive me."

"Hikari, that boy has changed…it won't be like it was when you left Otogakure…he wouldn't come looking for you because he cannot bear to live without you; he will come looking for his heir and then slaughter the person who took his family from him," Shizuka said as she firmly grasped her daughter's shoulders.

"He wouldn't hurt me," Hikari said as her eyes fell. "If he was going to hurt me, he would have already done so. I have questioned him far too many times and criticised his way of thinking…there is something holding Sasuke back and if I am lucky, that something can hold out until all of this is over."

"If you say so…" Shizuka said with a shrug. "Go on then, but outside in an hour and do not take any longer than that; we have company joining us."

"Yeah, I will be there."

"Just don't say I didn't warn you about him, Hikari."

…

Hikari lightly ran her fingers through Sasuke's silky bangs, admiring the hair that hung off of his face as he slept. She didn't really know what would happen next between them; all she knew was that she could not lose Sasuke again, not now that she didn't have anybody left anymore.

"Hikari?"

"Sasuke," she said as a smile pulled at the corners of her lips.

"You're leaving?" he asked quietly; he cut straight to the point, which made Hikari frown. She would have liked to smile a little longer.

"Yeah…" she said with a nod of her head.

"Your mother is with you?"

"Yes, she will keep me safe," Hikari said whispered back with hesitation dripping from her words.

"You don't want to leave, do you?" he asked as he searched for her hand; she grabbed onto it and held it tightly in her own. He felt tears splash onto his skin; the sensation made his skin crawl.

"How could I?" she asked quietly as her voice strained. "We have been through so much and despite all the fighting, I was starting to feel connected with you again. I have to go through with this though…"

"Nothing I say with change your mind, will it?"

She squeezed his hand.

"No, it won't…"

"Tell me where you're going," he demanded; he felt her hand tighten briefly.

"I can't," she said in a tone just above a whisper, "not here."

"Hikari-" "You will know where to find me," Hikari said into his ear, "just think on it and it will come to you, I promise."

"Hikari, seriously-"

"I have to go," she said quietly as she brushed her thumb against his lips.

Sasuke became frustrated with her elusiveness and couldn't stand the fact that she had so much control over the situation they were in; he did the first thing that came to his mind, he grabbed her head and brushed his lips against her own.

He knew instantaneously that he had managed to take her breath away; he could feel the shock run through her body and he knew exactly what was on her mind. They hadn't shared a _real_ kiss in such a long time.

Hikari sighed as she closed her eyes and let her hands fall to his chest; letting her guard slip with them.

He moved his mouth against hers gently and he felt a genuine smile take over her lips; for a moment they were both back in Konoha under the cover of shaded trees.

As he pulled away, he wished he could see her face because everything he had ever felt for her came rushing back to him in that moment, he wanted to know if it had for her too. Most of all, he didn't want to let her go, but he had to.

As Hikari walked away from him and out of his room, a hallow feeling crept up on him as a subtle reminder of his pain and loneliness. As the silence of his room buzzed in his ears, he realised that it had been Hikari who was keeping him from feeling the emotions he dreaded most.

For a while, the pain of losing his family had been numbed by the thought of his son, but now that he had been taken away, all that was left was pain of losing everything, and Sasuke hated to loose.

…

"Who are they?" Hikari asked as her eyes scanned over the small group in front of her.

"They are Koizumi who owe me some favours," her mother answered as she shifted her weight and put her hand on her hip. "Hikari, meet some of the current branch leaders."

Hikari flicked her eyes over the three newcomers again; she was surprised to see more men than woman among their ranks.

"Hey, I'm Kin," one man said as he stepped forwards and offered his large hand for her to shake; he was quite large for an average man, despite this, he was not intimidating to Hikari whatsoever. She figured that living around Kisame for as long as she had desensitised her. "Your mom told us about your condition, but I will be damned if the future of our clan gets hurt on the battlefield. I swear on my life that nothing will happen to that baby…it's been a long time since the Uchiha and Koizumi were united, I miss those days and I'm not about to let them slip away again, not when the Kekki Genkai run so pure in your child."

Hikari accepted his hand into her own and lifted her lips into a gentle smile.

"Thank you for your help, Kin."

"No problem, ma'am," he said with his own grin. "Behind me is Fu," he said as he pointed to the long silver-haired woman behind him, "and this is my cousin Ichiro."

Hikari's eyes stayed on the strange silver-haired woman. Fu's eyes were purple like hers, but they lacked shine- it was almost as if she was dead on the inside; as if to match, her hair lacked the same kind of lustre too.

"So you're the girl everyone has heard so much about," Fu muttered as she looked Hikari up and down. "Her body appears strong enough to handle it, Lady Kameyo. I'll have to do a closer examination, but I seriously doubt that your plan won't work…"

"Your plan?" Hikari asked as she directed her eyes at Shizuka.

"Well, Fu specializes in preserving bodies, dead or alive" Shizuka explained. "After your baby is born, Fu is going to take care of your body while you no longer inhabit it."

End Notes: Feedback, please?


	64. The Sixty Fourth Passage

Author's Notes:

Sorry it took so long to update, I spent a lot of my time this week just getting comfortable in the new semester. I am also trying to adjust going into the Manga for dialogue instead of the Anime. It's ganna take me some time to work through some of the mistranslations.

_**The Sixty-Fourth Passage:**_

"So, she is going to be the one to do it then?" Hikari asked as she looked the woman named Fu up and down.

"That would be me," the woman answered in return with a smile that made Hikari uneasy. "Don't worry; I'll keep your body alive. You do have to fear me, girl."

"So you're absolutely sure that this will make the curse go away?" Hikari asked as she looked up at her mother.

"The curse is attached to your blood," her mother explained. "When you leave your body for another, the curse cannot follow your consciousness. However, that doesn't mean that your body is not safe from the curse. It provides some protection, but not much; that's why we're going to hide your body with Fu. Madara doesn't know about her or her talents. He will not go looking there. Once you transcend your body, the curse will technically be broken. However, you will not switch back into your body until something is done about Madara. You're going to have to play a waiting game."

"What about Sora, the boy who is connected to me through the curse?" Hikari asked as she folded her arms. "What if something happens to him?"

"How do I explain this?" Shizuka asked herself as she bit her lip. "Sora's curse is linked more to your soul and consciousness than your body; if that makes sense. Yes, the curse does make it so you share physical damage but you also share emotional damage as well; by switching bodies your connection will be broken. Soon, Sora will realise that his curse is still active, but the connection is gone."

"I'm glad he is no longer in danger," Hikari said with a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad he cannot recklessly endanger my grandchild and daughter anymore," Shizuka said bitterly. "I cannot forgive Madara for all of this. I know he put that curse on you, after stressing how much of a good soul Itachi Uchiha was, he couldn't expect me to believe that Itachi cursed you…and to keep up appearances, he handed the control to an unstable teenager…"

"Believe me, I feel like an idiot for believing him about 'Haruo' Uchiha…" Hikari uttered with a frown.

"It sounds like you two are mixed up in a lot of drama with an Uchiha who is dead," Fu said as she looked at her nails.

"Believe me, Fu, he's alive and kicking," Shizuka said as she looked at the woman crossly. "He has definitely changed, but I should be proof enough that someone can be alive long after they should be."

"Ah, but you're special my lady," Fu said with her smile that made Hikari uneasy, "and because of it, you will always be most interesting to me; you and your descendants have learned to thwart the rules of death."

"Fu, you're a Koizumi, you should know that only the daughter of the Sage of Six Paths, Kameyo Koizumi, and now her daughter have that ability…it's in the ancient pure-line of the clan," Kin said as he gestured towards Shizuka with his head.

"We should get moving," Shizuka said as she rolled her shoulders. "Another disciple of mine is going to meet us very soon."

"Really?" Ichiro asked as he looked between all of the Koizumi in front of him. "Are you sure that is a good idea, my lady? Traveling in large groups will make us easily discoverable."

"Ichiro," Shizuka said with a smile of her own, "I'd rather be discoverable instead of not having enough shinobi. Two lives are at stake and this next edition is very special indeed."

"Let's go then, Kin, Ichiro," Fu said as she pushed them forwards.

…

"So, Ichiro," Hikari said as she looked at the man she ran next to; Kin was on her other side, her mother led the formation, and Fu held up the rear. "Why did you guys agree to help me out?"

"Why?" Ichiro asked as he looked at her with his peripheral vision.

"Yeah," Hikari said as she nodded her head.

"All of us have a reason to be here," Fu spoke up from behind them. "Do not forget that you're not the only one who has a connection to an Uchiha. That clan might as well have been our own clan and Konoha mercilessly exterminated them…they were our kin, our partners, and our lovers; they're gone now because of the Leaf."

"So you're like Sasuke then?" Hikari asked as she turned her head to look at Fu.

"I'd just like an apology for what they caused," Fu said as she looked towards the ground. "I don't want bloodshed, I just want someone to step up and say they're sorry. That won't happen though because they're all cowards…"

"Fu lost her husband because of all of this," Ichiro explained, "quite recently, actually; this feud has done so much damage that a lot of us just want it to end."

"Not I," Kin said with a frown pulling at his lips, "Because of Konoha, my Kara died in the massacre. I'm never going to get to spend another day lying in the grass and laughing with her again. How are they supposed to make up for that? She was just an innocent girl. They cannot ever give that back to me."

"We all lost people we love in the massacre," Ichiro said as he looked towards Hikari, "maybe that's why we want to help you. We don't want you to feel the same pain we have. You have the last Uchiha, someone you have been fated to since the moment you were born. You still have that special person, but all of us have lost that person and because of it, we know the loneliness and bitterness it makes someone feel; we want you to be free of that."

"Sasuke is special to me, but he has changed so much," Hikari said as she looked towards her stomach. "I just don't know anymore."

"You're thinking of love as if it is all about you," Fu said with a hiss, "sometimes love is about how far you're willing to go and how much you will change for them. Love is not meant to be easy and comfortable, it has its trials and you're in one now. If you willing to give up because the person you love has collapsed and can't seem to get up and you cannot deal with that change, then what right do you have to claim you love them? If you cannot see the person you love inside of Sasuke, then you have never loved him."

Fu's words stuck Hikari like a fresh slap across the face.

"You're going to be a mother pretty soon; I suggest that you do a lot of thinking and grow up, things are not easy in the real world."

Hikari frowned and looked back towards the ground again. Silence fell around the group and made every second uncomfortable.

She knew Fu was right though, and that's what made her feel rotten on the inside. Hikari had given up on Sasuke the moment she felt like it was hopeless. She knew she shouldn't have now in hindsight, because it had caused them to become disconnected and it drove them apart from each other.

She bit her lip.

"I'm sorry that I yelled," Fu spoke up and broke the silence, "you just don't know what it's like to lose everything because somebody made a decision for you."

"Yeah, I understand," Hikari said with a frown, "but you were right. I did give up."

"You'll go back onto the right path," Ichiro said as he touched Hikari's shoulder. "This little 'trip' will give you some time to think everything over."

"Yeah," Hikari said with a nod of her head. "Sometimes I just wish Itachi was alive though…he always seemed to know what to do when I was without a clue."

…

Midoriko patiently waited at her rendezvous place for her former teacher to show up; Shizuka had not said much, but she did say that she was bringing Hikari and some others.

After another half-an-hour of silence, the bushes around her began to rustle from the disturbance of someone approaching her. Midoriko tensed and plucked a kunai from its pouch and became very aware of her environment.

"It's just me," Shizuka said as she broke through the trees. She was followed by a group of people, one of them was Hikari. Midoriko hadn't seen her in months.

Without any thought, the blond girl rushed forwards and pulled her friend into an embrace, but then gasped and stepped away as her eyes fell to Hikari's stomach.

"Oh my god," Midoriko uttered as she looked up into Hikari's eyes. She swiftly turned to Shizuka and gestured towards Hikari. "You didn't tell me she was pregnant!"

"I figured you would have already known," Shizuka replied with a shrug. "Sora must have had morning sickness."

"Of course he did, but we thought he had the flu!" Midoriko said as she looked at Hikari again. "Who's kid is it?"

"It could be someone else's?" Ichiro asked with a raised brow.

"It's another Uchiha," Shizuka said with a shrug, "an even stronger one to put it lightly…one I would have preferred over the unstable one she has now."

"If I remember correctly, you separated Itachi and I," Hikari said as her brow twitched.

"That's because I felt he was too old for you," Shizuka said with a shrug.

"Who's kid is it!" Midoriko demanded loudly.

"Sasuke's," Hikari clarified as she put her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Sasuke is the father, calm yourself."

"Thank god, Sasuke would have gone ballistic," Midoriko said with a sigh.

"It's not like I would have told him if it wasn't his child," Hikari said with a sigh. "Alright, we're all here now. We might as well go over our plan, mom."

"Right," Shizuka said with a nod.

"Your plan?" Fu asked as she folded her arms.

"Yeah, we're going to get Hikari and her baby into Konoha…"

**Chapter End Notes:**  
>I hope you guys like the new characters. If you wanna see what they look like, go here: .com#/d4p2yo6  
>It's a picture I drew of the new cell!<p>

Feedback, please?/blockquote


	65. The Sixty Fifth Passage

Author's Notes:

Everything is starting to become a little clearer from here, so things should start to speed up eventually.

_**The Sixty-Fifth Passage:**_

"The war has already begun," Midoriko informed the group. "Most of the village was dispatched the day before I left…"

"They've made an alliance," Ichiro added, "every main village that is run by a Kage has merged into one large army."

"Wow," Hikari said as she looked towards him. "If I wasn't on the bad side, I'd say that's kind of good; it's like a step towards peace between the nations."

"I doubt it," Fu said cynically, "they're going to go back to their old ways as soon as impending doom is brushed under the carpet."

"Are there any particularly dangerous threats? Any specific shinobi we should know about, Lady Kameyo?" Kin asked as he looked towards the woman he served.

"Yeah, a few," she answered quietly. "I have got some news from reliable sources…apparently, Kabuto Yakushi has joined a side and he has a formidable jutsu of Orochimaru's at his disposal."

"Which one and whose side is he on?" Hikari asked with a frown.

"From what I have heard he has joined Madara in the war efforts, for what price, I do not know," Shizuka informed them. "As for what he has brought to the table, I've heard he's mastered the Impure-World Resurrection technique."

"That's not good," Fu said seriously. "We have to be prepared to face anyone then, including past Kage and legendary shinobi…but that's not the worst thing he could bring out to try and crush everyone."

"What do you mean Fu? You said he could bring legendary shinobi and Kage back from the dead; what could be worse than that?" Ichiro asked with a frown.

"Loved ones," Hikari uttered. "Anyone that you have ever loved or cared about…they are potentially at his disposal. It's the perfect weapon."

"Hikari that means you must be weary," her mother spoke up. "Itachi Uchiha may be a considerable weapon to use."

"I know, I just thought of that," Hikari said with a sigh.

"This mission was already an S-ranked one to begin with," Shizuka said to the group, "but it's just become ten times harder. Be on you guard."

"Yes ma'am!"

…

"We're very close to the war zone," Ichiro said as he looked into the dancing flames he had helped create hours before; the team was resting for the night. Tomorrow, they started their mission.

"Yeah and my watch just began, forgive me if I am tired," Hikari said with a yawn.

"I have to stay until Kin gets up anyways, so don't worry about it too much. I'm here too," Ichiro said with a shrug as he looked at the rest of the team that were laid out in front of them, lightly sleeping. "So, how far along are you?"

"I'm just starting four months," Hikari replied with a small smile.

"Are you excited?"

"I'm not sure," Hikari said as she looked up at Ichiro. "I think I may be more nervous than anything."

"Yeah, I have heard a little about the father," Ichiro said as he surveyed the area again. "I would be nervous too."

"I'm not just nervous about him…I'm nervous about myself," Hikari explained quietly. "I don't have a clue on how to be a mom…"

"Yeah, neither did Fu, but then things went downhill for her…you should be grateful."

"Fu?"

"Yeah, she was an expecting mother until her husband and child were killed by a person in Konoha…she's never told me the explicit details, but whoever did it attacked them because of a clan-mate and something that this clan-mate did; apparently Fu's husband was related to whoever they were truly angry with."

"That's terrible," Hikari said as she looked towards Fu.

"Yeah, Fu tried really hard to bring back her husband, but he was far too gone by the time she became conscious…there was no way she could have preserved his body or preformed the soul-swap. She almost died herself in the fight." Ichiro frowned and looked towards the silver-haired woman. "She holds in so much pent up anger and sadness because of the whole ordeal. I think that's why she got so angry at you the other day…you have everything she lost at the hands of someone else. From her point of view, you wouldn't feel the way you do if someone took it all away from you for such a petty reason."

"I won't say I wish I could take back what I said, because that will get me nowhere, but I will apologise to her. I never even considered that what I said could hurt her so much…just the memories must be terrifying," Hikari said with a sigh as she closed her eyes, "but I know a little something about loss too…the kind of love that is ripped away from you because of someone else. I can understand her pain in that way, but I could never understand the pain of losing a child."

"Are you talking about Itachi Uchiha? The man your mother mentioned earlier?"

"Yeah," Hikari said quietly. "He was the man who massacred the Uchiha."

"I know," Ichiro said with a small smile. "I won't judge you based on who you have loved."

"He was a good man," Hikari said harshly.

"Try explaining that to the hundreds of Koizumi who lost their lovers because of him," Ichiro said with a sigh, "like Kin."

"Itachi would not want me to speak of the truth, so I will not explain anything," Hikari said with a frown, "but I can assure you, he was a good man; a good man who lived a terrible life."

"If you say it, who am I to question it?" Ichiro asked with a shrug, "I just don't recommend saying things like that to the wrong person."

"Oh I know," Hikari said with a frown, "believe me…I know."

"Look, you're look tired and I don't want anything to happen to the baby…I have a lot of energy and would like to stay up a little longer," Ichiro said as his eyes drifted to Fu. "I'll cover your shift…go back to sleep."

"Are you sure?" Hikari asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah; go hit the hay."

…

When Fu looked back on her life and looked through all of her memories critically, she realised that she had never accomplished anything that would have meaning in the future; she had thrown away all of her dreams when her hand had been requested in marriage. However, when she thought harder about it, she would do it all again if given the choice with only a little variance.

It all just seemed so miniscule now that he was gone, however.

Fu sighed and looked towards the group that was asleep in front of her. Among the bodies, she found the very girl she was protecting; how she envied Hikari Koizumi.

Fu was once like her, pregnant and deeply in love, but it was all taken from her; now, she was only managing to go about her life by sheer force of will and not thinking too much about the past.

If she thought about the tragic death of her husband and unborn child, she would break, she knew that for certain. However, it was on lonely nights like these that she thought of her husband and child the most.

They were taken because of the unresolved conflicts between Konoha and the Koizumi-clan. They were taken because a boy didn't know the difference between love and lust. They were taken because of a stupid girl who made stupid mistakes.

Fu sighed and closed her eyes, trying to rid herself of the image of her husband's blood-stained face and lifeless eyes, but the more she tried, the clearer the image became and it made her heart wrench.

Fu ran her hands through her hair as her eyes started to water. Her breath hitched in her throat and her hands began to shake. She tried to push it all down, but her memories were so overwhelming when the person who had caused her husband's death lay among the people in front of her.

She wanted them to suffer as she did.

She wanted them to lose something as precious as a child.

End Notes: Tell me what you guys think of Fu...do you know who caused her husband's death? Do you have an idea as to who her husband was? Feedback, please. :D


	66. The Sixty Sixth Passage

Author's Notes:

I hope you guys like the lovely cliff-hanger at the end of this chapter. Bwahahahaha. Anyways, I am posting early because I have to write an essay for my history class, so I'm not sure when I will post next. Sometime next week?

Story:  
><em><span><strong>The Sixty-Sixth Passage:<strong>_

_Sora, _

_I don't understand why I am writing these letters to you…I know you will never see them because Lady Shizuka will go to extreme lengths to protect her daughter and clan, my clan. _

_I wish I could have told you so much more about myself before I had to leave…I wish I could have spent the time with you that you deserved; you have to understand that I'm not a free woman though. I have obligations to my clan and its future leader. I am afraid my obligations to my people are larger than my obligations to you; I wish it weren't the case, but I cannot change what is. _

_I've always wanted to tell you how much I love your smile; your eyes light up and look like a clear sky. It is beautiful and puts a smile on my face too. I miss your smile, Sora. I miss you. _

_You won't ever hear my feelings for you, but I cannot express how grateful I am to you. I couldn't trust the men in my life because I had terrible things done to me by a man who used to live in the same village as I. I had troubles coming to terms with my past, but you helped me get over my fear. You showed me that people can be different and change. I saw you change from a wounded, self-centred, and cynical man into someone whom I admire. You wanted to help Hikari just for me because you cared about what I thought. You cared about me and I can never express how much that means to me in words. I can never express how much I love you in words…I can't express how much I wish I could stay and be with you in words. _

_This is my way of letting you know everything I feel, Sora. I wish you would be able to read it, but I know that won't happen. Hopefully, you're already aware of everything I wrote here and you know how much that I loved you. _

_Don't ever think that I left you for someone else, or because I wanted to, because that is not the case. You have meant a lot to me for a while. I'm not Hikari. I didn't leave without telling you. I didn't leave because I don't love you. I am leaving so I can do what's right. I hope you understand that. _

_Live your life without hate, Sora. _

_With love, _

_Midoriko._

Midoriko sighed as she lifted her eyes away from the page. She closed her eyes as she folded the letter and tucked it away in side of her weapons pouch, where she had originally took it from.

Midoriko had written the letter on her way to meet up with Shizuka, when she had stopped at a tea-shop.

"It will be morning soon," she uttered to herself as she scanned the area around the camp her team had set up.

Her eyes fell to Hikari and she found herself wondering what Hikari's life had been like all the times she was away. What was it like in Konoha for her, or the Akatsuki? What was it like to be with Sasuke Uchiha? Midoriko had heard from Shizuka that he had turned into no less than a raving lunatic. How was that affecting her closest friend?

Midoriko realised that she had not once asked Hikari how she was doing in the past two days she had been with her, despite knowing that Hikari was going through a difficult time. Midoriko had not seen Hikari since before Itachi died, so she knew a lot had happened since then.

"_Itachi's death," _Midoriko thought as she looked down at her friend again. _"I wonder how Hikari handled that…"_

Midoriko sighed and closed her eyes again for a brief moment; she realised that, with much displeasure, her and Hikari had drifted apart.

She wanted to fix that before the end came.

…

"Fu, may I speak with you?" Hikari asked quietly.

Fu stretched and then turned around, lifting a thin silver brow.

"Sure…"

"Okay, let's go somewhere a little more private then," Hikari said as she turned to her mother. "We will be right back."

"Fu, if something happens to Hikari, you know what to do," Shizuka said as she looked towards the silver-haired woman.

"Yeah, I got it," Fu replied with a yawn.

Hikari stopped walking a little ways from the camp and then turned towards the silver-haired woman behind her.

"Look, I need to apologise to you," Hikari said quietly as she awkwardly shifted her weight.

"Why?" Fu asked as she lifted a brow and watched Hikari suspiciously.

"The other day when we first met, I was complaining about my life without thinking about anyone else around me…" Hikari started quietly. "I didn't even consider that anyone else in this team could have also had a rough past…I was disrespectful and I am very sorry that I upset you."

Fu opened her mouth as if to say something to Hikari, but then closed it again. After another moment, she looked into Hikari's eyes, peering to see something in their depths; what she was looking for, Hikari didn't know.

"Look, everyone makes stupid mistakes," Fu said with a sigh. "This will serve as a lesson. Next time, don't go blabbing about your problems. Not everyone will be sympathetic; especially me, I don't tend to be nice to people who whine about their lives when they don't realise they have it good compared to other people."

"Like you?" Hikari asked with a raised brow.

"So someone spilled the beans?" Fu asked with an annoyed sigh.

"Yes, I was told about it, but I also saw you crying last night," Hikari said with a shrug. "I am sorry about what happened to your family."

Hikari was taken aback to see a very intense look of anger cross Fu's face. The woman's hands began to shake and she was working very hard to keep her breathing even.

"Are you now?" she asked quietly, in an uneven voice. "That's funny."

Hikari pulled her brows together in confusion.

"Excuse me?"

"I just find it very hilarious that you are sorry that my husband and unborn child were viciously murdered…"

"I don't follow," Hikari said as her eyes scanned the surrounding areas for an exit. Something about Fu had changed; something in her spirit and chakra. Something dark was emerging.

"So, someone told you that they died, but did this person mention why my family was attacked and killed?" Fu asked with venom dripping from every word.

"Ichiro said that a clan-member had aggravated the attacker," Hikari responded quietly.

"Here, let me tell you a little story to clear things up," Fu said as she folded her arms and glared at Hikari. "There once was a girl who infiltrated Konoha on a mission given to her by her father. She snuck into the village and made herself a home. She joined the academy and then was sorted into a four-man cell. A boy on this team fell madly in love with this girl and she led him on-"

"That was not what happened!" Hikari snapped as her eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare judge me for my past!"

"Oh, but sweetie, that is what happened; I was there, watching from the background with my fiancé…" Fu said darkly. "When this girl left the village, the boy began to swim in his ill feelings towards her decision to leave Konoha forever; he resented her for choosing an Uchiha over him. One day, a man came to talk to the wounded boy and then planted a seed to grow in the boy; hatred. He began to hate the girl for leaving him. He wanted to make the girl pay, so he decided that he would attack and kill her only living family; her precious uncle, Daisuke Koizumi."

"What happened to Daisuke was not my fault!" Hikari yelled with angry eyes.

"It was!" Fu bellowed.

"Why do you care?" Hikari demanded as she clenched her fist.

"Did you honestly think you were his only family?" Fu asked aggressively. "Did you think that he didn't have a wife or a child on the way?"

Hikari's eyes widened.

"You killed my husband," Fu said darkly. "You killed _my_ family! It is your fault that I had to watch the blood drain from his body and the life leave his eyes! Do not tell me that you are sorry for his death because you didn't even care when his sister came to you. You brushed off his death and went on with your life…I wish I could do that. I wish I could forget the look on his face when he died! I wish I could forget that I can never be a mother again because of you!"

Hikari opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again and swallowed her fear.

"Kill me then," Hikari said as she glared at Fu, "but you're only starting a vicious cycle. If you kill me, Sasuke will come after you."

"I would never inflict the pain of losing a child onto anybody else!" Fu yelled as she turned from Hikari. "I'm not going to kill you…I want you to life your pathetic life so you can suffer with the knowledge that you killed a man and his child. I want you to suffer knowing the very woman who your survival depends on, hates your guts."

A disturbance in the bushes made Hikari's eyes widen.

"Fu! Move!"

Fu turned her head and looked towards the man who had stepped into the clearing; her breath hitched in her throat.

"Daisuke?"

"Fu! That's-"

Fu gasped as a sword ran her through; the man standing in front of her was gripping its hilt with both of his hands.

Her amethyst eyes connected with his as he pulled on the sword and then slashed her again across the chest and stomach.

Blood ran from her mouth and down her chin.

Daisuke shoved Fu aside and she fell to the ground, bleeding out.

Hikari swallowed and looked into Daisuke's eyes.

She stepped back as Kabuto's undead warrior stepped forwards, lifting his blade into the air.

End Notes: Feedback please? Bwahahahaha. I'm feeling especially evil today.


	67. The Sixty Seventh Passage

Author's Notes:

Sorry this took me so long, but I have been busy reviewing for a test and writing an essay. Anyways, this chapter should give you some idea as to where in the war Shizuka's hand-picked team entered.

_**The Sixty-Seventh Passage:**_

Hikari narrowed her eyes and jumped back in order to avoid Daisuke's attacked, narrowly missing a slash at her ribs.

"Daisuke! Come on!" Hikari yelled as she dodged again, now becoming very nervous about the sticky situation she had gotten herself into.

"Hikari you have to run!" Daisuke yelled as tears streamed down his face. "Look what I did to Fu; you need to get away from me."

"I'm trying!" Hikari yelled as she dodged another swipe. "Seriously! I'm pregnant, what do you expect? I'm not the fastest Kunoichi out there right now!"

Daisuke's eyes widened as he looked towards her stomach; he wished she wouldn't have said that because now his hands were fighting against his will in order to raise his blade again.

"Move it!" he bellowed as he brought down his sword onto her; this time, he didn't miss.

Hikari let out a scream as blood began to leak from her chest and arms; if she hadn't of protected her stomach with them, her baby would have died then and there.

"Hikari if you don't kill me, or get away from me, I'm going to kill you and your baby!" Daisuke stressed. "Do something now! I've already hurt Fu, please!"

"I know!" Hikari cringed as she held her chest.

Blood was leaking from her arms and onto the ground; she was losing the valuable liquid fast, and she couldn't heal herself for using her abilities would stop her blood from flowing to her baby.

Tears began to well in her eyes as she looked around desperately trying to see an exit that he wouldn't be able to follow her out of; coming to the battlefield was a terrible idea. Almost all of her Jutsu were off-limits to her because of her pregnancy.

"Hikari!"

Hikari widened her eyes as she jumped back away from Daisuke again, however, when she felt her back hit a tree the churning feeling of doom settled in her stomach.

"You're a Koizumi!" Hikari shouted as she glared at her uncle. "I cannot believe you'd put our clan to shame by being controlled! It's your blood in your body, why the hell aren't you controlling it!"

Daisuke stopped for a moment and looked at her.

"You're a Koizumi, Daisuke," she yelled again, "act like one!"

"Oh god…" Daisuke muttered as he struggled against the invisible strings raising his sword towards his arm. He sliced open the flesh and let his blood leek onto the blade, smothering the shining metal with the crimson liquid. Before Hikari could register to move, he stabbed her in the shoulder with his blood-soaked blade.

Hikari's eyes widened as she felt the invading force enter her body and she slowly looked up into Daisuke's eyes.

…

"They've been gone for almost a half an hour," Midoriko said with a sigh as she looked at her nails. "How long does it take to talk to that creepy woman?"

"Believe me, Fu has a lot of pent up anger; they could be there for a while," Kin grunted.

"Why? Did Hikari do something that made her mad?" Midoriko asked with a raised brow as she looked at the cousins that sat in front of her for answers.

"Of course Fu is mad at Hikari. It is because of the way that Fu sees everything that happened to her; she blames it on Hikari and it is technically justified," Shizuka spoke up from behind them as she walked into their camp.

"However, all of the blame that Fu holds against Hikari is not right; half of it should be split to that maniac in Konoha."

Midoriko's eyes narrowed. Whenever someone spoke of the 'maniac' in Konoha, she knew that they were talking about Sora; her Sora.

"You can't talk about him like that," Midoriko spat as she stood up. "You don't even know Sora."

"I know enough about him and I know about men like him," Shizuka said as she directed stern eyes towards Midoriko.

"You cannot compare him to Orochimaru!" Midoriko yelled as she pointed to Shizuka. "Sora would have never done anything like what Orochimaru did to you!"

"How do you know that?" Shizuka asked calmly. "Hikari will tell you another side of the story if you ask her; he possessed all the qualities, he was just never around her long enough to do it."

"How dare you say that about him? Sora would have never done anything like that!"

"Sure, and at one point in time, no one would have ever said Orochimaru would have turned out to be a maniac too," Shizuka spit.

"Sora is not a maniac!" Midoriko said as she clenched her fists into tight balls.

Ichiro and Kin looked at each other and then back at the two women who were standing in front of them; both of them were tense and unmoving. Both boys swallowed nervously.

"No one would have ever said Itachi Uchiha would annihilate the Uchiha clan, and no one would have ever said that Sasuke Uchiha would want to destroy Konoha, but look at them," Shizuka said as she put her hand on her hips. "People hide their most ugly aspects deep inside. You barley know Sora."

"I guess it takes a crazy person to know one," Midoriko hissed.

"Hey, you cannot talk about Lady Kameyo like that," Kin said as he stood up.

"I can say whatever I like!" Midoriko said as she glared towards Shizuka. "All my life I have looked up to you, but you're nothing but a selfish, micromanaging, bitch. You hate the fact that you were used by Orochimaru so you put his daughter through hell; your own daughter. What woman in their right mind would stay with Orochimaru? What woman in their right mind would send their own pregnant daughter to a war field? A woman that hates what she created."

"That's an interesting theory, but do you actually think Hikari is Orochimaru's daughter? Do you honestly see a shred of that vial disgusting man inside of her? No, you are wrong. Hikari is my everything. I am not making her suffer because I hate her father. She is suffering because of her own choices. I'm trying to help her reverse them."

"Not her father?" Midoriko asked with widened eyes.

"Of course she isn't," Shizuka said as she put her hands on her hips. "I wouldn't have been able to carry the seed of that man; even I am not that strong."

"Look, I don't care whose kid she is," Ichiro said as he stood up, "but you two are just creating more tension in this unit. If we are going to successfully help her get to Konoha, we can't fight internally."

"Ichiro is right," Kin said as he crossed his arms.

"I hope you all know that when Sasuke has found out what _she's_ done," Midoriko said as she pointed to Shizuka, "we're all dead. No one gets away with double-crossing him…no one. We won't have to worry about internal-conflict." Midoriko looked at Shizuka and glared again. "May I remind you, your plan depends on my cooperation…I don't like the way you judge everyone around you like you're some saint. I don't want to hear another bad word about Sora from you. I'm sacrificing everything for you and I am leaving him all alone again. Do not make me change my mind," Midoriko hissed.

"I cannot afford loose ends," Shizuka replied just as hostilely, "you need to figure out what you're doing. If you're not going to go through with this, than I want nothing to do with you. I can say whatever I want about anyone. You cannot stop me. If you're going to be a coward and walk away, then do it before I kill you myself."

"I'm not going anywhere, Hikari is depending on me," Midoriko said harshly in return. "It seems that I am the only one she can depend on around here."

Shizuka narrowed her eyes, but before she could attack Midoriko for saying such insulting things, a blood curdling scream echoed through the forest.

"That was Hikari!" …

"Damn it Hikari! Force the blood out of your body before I kill your child!" Daisuke yelled as he advanced towards her. She was laying on the ground next to Fu, trying to wipe the blood that was flowing from a gash on her hairline, away from her eyes. She could see Daisuke advancing on her through clouded-red vision.

"Move, Hikari…"

Hikari was taken aback by the sound of Fu's voice. The women's violet eyes were half lidded and her breathing was shallow. As Fu lifted her hand, Hikari felt the sensation of tugging at her wound and watched as Daisuke's blood was forced to leave her body.

"Move before he kills your child," Fu croaked.

Hikari nodded and tried to get up, but the wound on her back sent out a shock of pain; she gasped and fell back down next to Fu.

"Go…"

Hikari looked up when she felt the cold kiss of metal on her throat to see Daisuke standing above her; his tears hit her face.

Hikari closed her eyes and waited for the pain to come. After a few moments, she opened her eyes to see that Daisuke's eyes were widened as he looked towards the entrance of the clearing. Hikari turned her head, but instead of seeing who had arrived, all she saw was the dance of flames.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu."

End Notes: Feedback?


	68. The Sixty Eighth Passage

Author's Notes:

Thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter. I love reviews so much and I read them all, even if I do not reply to them all. If anyone has any questions about the story, things they don't understand or just questions about a character's back round, you can leave them in the reviews and I will answer to the best of my ability without spoilers. :D

_**The Sixty-Eighth Passage:**_

When Hikari awoke, she didn't open her eyes; immediately, an odd feeling had settled over her, tranquility and she wished to bask in it while she could. She wanted to be embraced in the calming arms of serenity because her life had been so chaotic for so long. She had longed for a break.

When she finally decided to open her eyes she realised she was in a cave because she was surrounded by utter darkness and could feel the cool draft from the rainy out-side world.

Silence hugged her as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, and as she waited, she began to recount what had happened to her. She remembered fighting her uncle that had been resurrected and she remembered getting badly injured; she also remembered the flames that saved her.

Timidly, she tried to see if anyone was with her and made her breathing quiet because she had become uncomfortably aware that she had no idea where she was or who had come a long and saved her. Whoever did had to have been someone who could use the Grand Fireball technique, she knew that. Only one person came to mind.

"Sasuke?" she called quietly as she tried to sit up; she felt the bandages that someone had wrapped her wounds with constrict against her chest, and she knew that whoever had saved her didn't want her dead.

"Hello?"

Her voice echoed around the cave and she began to wonder if her mysterious savior had left. Hikari bit her lip and looked around again; there was no visible sign of someone else.

With a sigh, she stood up and began to slowly walk in the direction she felt the draft coming from. When she entered the main cavern of the cave, she recognised it instantly and a memory played before her eyes; she saw a young girl looking into the enigmatic eyes of Itachi Uchiha, and watched as he slowly leaned forwards and touched her lips with his. The warm glow of a burning fire sent nostalgia through her veins. It had been the first time Itachi had ever kissed her and she found herself wishing she could return to that moment. She wondered how she would have handled her relationship with Itachi if she knew how much she would grow to love him; if she knew she had trouble living without him.

Hikari covered her mouth as tears welled in her eyes; she never thought that she would return to this place and now that she was there, it made her sick with memories of Itachi. Her mind replayed every look he had ever given her, and ever kissed they had ever shared; it made her heart twist and her breath hitch in her throat as tears began to run down her face. Now that she was in there place, she had time to think about how many months she had gone without him, the way he said goodbye, and how she was useless to save his life.

She stepped backwards, trying to get away from the pain that seemed to follow her and suddenly her knees felt weak and before she knew it, she began to fall. Before she could hit the ground, however, arms wrapped around her and she felt warm breath on the back of her neck.

"I have always told you to correct your balance, yet you continue to collapse when you are overwhelmed; even when you're an expecting mother…you have not changed, Hikari."

…

"Where is she!" Shizuka yelled as she held Fu up by the hem of her shirt. "Didn't I tell you to protect her!"

"I'm sorry that I was a little surprised when my dead husband immerged from the brush and stabbed me," Fu hissed as she realised her most furious glare towards her higher-up.

"Look, stop fighting," Ichiro said as he touched the ground; the dirt had been singed in a large ovular fashion. "This looks like a fire-styled Jutsu. It was probably that Uchiha boyfriend of hers…in fact, I am sure of it based on the information Fu gave. He sounds like the picture I have seen of Sasuke. I don't think we should worry too much."

"Shouldn't worry too much!" Shizuka demanded as if his suggestion was completely unheard of. "My daughter, who happens to be pregnant because of that pushy bastard, is missing!"

"I don't sense her chakra," Midoriko said as she looked around. "I also do not detect Sasuke, but he has recently gotten good at hiding from me…his chakra disappeared a few weeks back, I assumed that he died."

"He has Itachi's eyes now, so it's likely that his chakra signature has changed," Shizuka said with a sigh. "I feel a little better knowing that she is off the radar, rather she is with him or not. However, I want to go look for her."

"Alright, but we have no leads," Kin said with a sigh. "She is weak if she can be carried off like that."

"She never has been overly strong," Shizuka said with a sigh, "not physically, at least. Let's go."

"Alright, just let go of me already!" Fu demanded as she yanked her shirt away from Shizuka's hand.

"Where should we head?" Midoriko asked with a frown.

"Hikari has been given a mission from Madara," Shizuka said as he looked towards Midoriko. "She has to complete it. I suggest you locate Naruto Uzumaki and lead me to him."

"Alright, I can do that," Midoriko said with a nod as she walked in front of the other Koizumi.

"Get into formation!" Shizuka demanded.

"Yes ma'am!"

…

Hikari's head swam with fog when she awoke again; she tried very hard to remember what happened to her after she woke up before, but it was like trying to get through a maze that's entrance and exit kept changing while she was inside of it.

"You're awake…"

As clear as a bell, his voice led her out of her confusion and back to reality.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she desperately looked around herself, wishing her eyes would adjust to the darkness of the cave faster.

"Close your eyes," was all he said before he lit a small candle and a dim glow filled the small nook in the cave they were in.

Hikari did as she was told too late and squeezed her eyes shut because the sudden light in the impossibly dark cave had burned her eyes.

Hikari re-opened her eyes and then looked away from him with a sigh.

"Oh god, I'm hallucinating," she muttered with a frown, "I must have hit my head."

"It has always interested me to hear the things people tell themselves to make the situations they're in more comfortable…"

"No, don't pull that illusion verses reality shit on me," Hikari demanded as she looked up into his eyes. She gasped and then did a double take. "Your eyes, they're just like Daisuke's…you're…oh god."

The whites of his eyes had turned black, but his Sharingan was as crimson as always.

"Itachi, what happened? How could you let Kabuto do this to you?"

Itachi did not say anything in return; instead, his lips picked up slightly into a smirk.

"I am not all powerful, Hikari…there are and always have been things out of my control."

Hikari sighed and mentally took a step back; she realised that she didn't feel anything in particular that Itachi was sitting in front of her, the shock must have been so overwhelming that it had temporarily blocked her emotions.

Hikari began to think over the implications of the Uchiha's temporary return, and she realised that she would be powerless all over again; he would die and there was nothing she could do to stop it. In that moment of clarity, fear began to override everything and she slowly stood up.

"I can't do this again," she muttered as she began to walk away from him.

A hand wrapped around her wrist and another around her frame.

"I can't let you go out there, it's dangerous," he said quietly into her ear.

"I can't watch you die again!" Hikari yelled as she tried to rip her wrist from his grasp.

Itachi was taken aback.

"You have absolutely no idea how much it hurt me to be completely powerless to save you; I had to stand there and wait as your life came to a close. I will never experience that again," Hikari said forcefully. "I came so close to dying so many times, and every time I'd see your face waiting for me; I had to remind myself that I had other responsibilities and couldn't die yet. Because of you, I had to convince myself that I needed to live when every fiber in my being was ready to give in. I won't survive it next time, Itachi. I cannot do this."

"You wished to die?" Itachi asked quietly.

"You have no idea," Hikari uttered as she closed her eyes.

"Let me have one," he responded as he turned her around and touched her face.

Tears began to well in her eyes and ten run down her cheeks.

"It's Sasuke…he's so…" Hikari cut herself off. "He's not the person I used to know. Madara has changed him and I tried so hard to tell him otherwise, but everything I say he doesn't trust…" Hikari sighed. "He doesn't trust me because I loved you."

"I am truly sorry Hikari…all of this never should have had anything to do with you," Itachi spoke quietly. "I truly thought that you would prevent Sasuke from joining Madara."

"The only reason Sasuke is keeping me around at this point is because I'm pregnant," Hikari said as her eyes fell to the floor. "I'm so stuck though, Itachi. It's so hard because I love that man with everything I have, yet he doesn't feel a thing for me anymore. It's so hard to love someone when they don't love you back, but it's harder still when they decide you're good enough to toy around with, yet not to care about or love. That's what I have been to every man I have ever loved…a toy. I'm so ready to just quit everything. I don't want to try anymore."

Guilt hit Itachi like a ton of bricks. He was silent for a moment, trying to figure out a way to approach this subject sensitively. There was so much he could tell her now, so many things that he had never been able to before.

"Hikari you were not a toy to me," Itachi whispered.

"Wasn't I?" she replied with anger. "You used me to make Sasuke angry! You never once said that you loved me, yet you continued to have sex with me whenever you could. You never once thought of the pain it caused me to watch you get up from bed as soon as you had finished using me and leave me. You never even considered that I was slowly becoming damaged at my core. I felt like trash and you never once thought about how all of this was affecting me, and I hate you for it!"

Itachi's eyes widened. The extent of her pain was more than he has initially calculated.

"But…I still love you at my core, just like with Sasuke. I hate everything he has been doing and how he has been acting, but I'd still throw myself in front of a blade for him. I'd do anything for you two and you have both just used me and thrown me away afterwards."

"Hikari I do love you," Itachi said softly; that was something he could finally tell her and mean it.

"But that's what hurt the most…you couldn't even say it once. You couldn't spare my heart a little damage just once. Sasuke's hate always came before my comfort," Hikari said as she began to shake. "Now look at me, I'm pregnant and I hate my life. What if I develop postpartum depression? I can't do this alone, yet Sasuke's going to wind up killing himself trying to get revenge and you're already dead…what am I supposed to do? I have been falling apart since Sasuke left me in Konoha and it has only slowly gotten worse since then. I haven't woken up a single day where my heart wasn't aching. I haven't gone through a single day where I have truly smiled in months. I'm so close to the edge, Itachi, that I cannot see it anymore; just the fall to the bottom."

Itachi put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her tear-filled aubergine eyes.

"Hikari, I love you; that will never change," he said quietly. "I'm sorry that all of this has happened to you, but this child is not a burden. You will love it with all of your being and it will love you back more than Sasuke and I ever could. You may not feel like it, but there are people in your life who want you. Even though you can't see it, I know Sasuke does love you or he would have gotten rid of you a long time ago. He cannot let you go, Hikari. Whatever he is doing, he thinks it is the right thing to do. You have to show him differently. If anyone can save him now, it's you. Hikari, you hold the next generation and he values that. You're his only family."

"You're his family too, Itachi!" Hikari yelled.

Itachi sighed and looked away from her.

"No, I'm not…" he whispered. "I lost the right to call myself his brother a long time ago."

"He misses you," Hikari said as she scrunched her eyebrows together. "We know everything about what happened to you, Itachi. He misses you so much that I can see that it's killing him slowly knowing that he is the person that took your life."

Itachi sighed and looked into Hikari's eyes.

"I have no right to see him…I don't want to see him."

"Only because you're afraid you'll see the monster you have created!" Hikari said loudly. "I cannot change Sasuke's mind alone. He needs to hear your message from your own mouth, or he will only continue to misinterpret it."

"I can't…I'm sorry, Hikari…"

End Notes: Now if anyone is confused, this chapter takes place before Itachi and Nagato meet up with Naruto. Just to make this clear, Itachi pretty much found Hikari getting attacked by Daisuke a little while after he set out with Nagato. Anyways, I had a little trouble characterizing Itachi because his personality has changed a little bit and it is still unclear as to where it is going. I'm trying to hang in the middle here. Sorry if he seems OOC as a result. Anyways, feedback is always greatly appreciated, please do leave it. :D


	69. The Sixty Ninth Passage

Author's Notes:  
>Gah! I am so sorry that this is so late. I was supposed to write over the March Break, but my life got really busy and I had family fly into visit us. I couldn't really do much of anything. I also sustained an injury to my wrist while I was at it, making it so I couldn't hold a pencil with that hand for three days, forget writing. I am so sorry I was not able to update sooner. Forgive me! Anyways, thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter. It means a lot to me; seriously, I'm not kidding. I love seeing the nice things you guys have to say, especially since this story is coming to a close soon. :(<p>

_**The Sixty-Ninth Passage:**_

"You look so different," Hikari said quietly as studied the man named Nagato in front of her; Itachi had explained that she had met him before and knew him by the name Pein. However, she didn't need to hear that to recognise him, she'd recognise those grey-ringed eyes of his anywhere; she had never met someone with more intimidating eyes than an Uchiha before, but he had managed to do it every time they had crossed paths. She had always felt as if he knew her every thought with just one glance.

"I could say the same," Nagato replied as he looked at her. "To think that you have outlived me."

"Well, I don't do much fighting these days," Hikari replied as she touched her stomach. "So…I guess I should be on my way then."

Itachi raised his brow and grabbed her wrist before she could move.

"You should come with us…"

"You're not going to give me much of a choice, are you?" Hikari asked with a sigh as she took a step towards them. She didn't need an answer; she knew that she had to go with him. He would never let her venture off into a war-zone pregnant and alone. He had been looking out for her safety for a long time, he wasn't about to stop now that she had gained a little independence.

A sudden nostalgia washed over Hikari; she felt a little younger for a moment. She realised that she felt this way because for just a little while, her life would consist of following Itachi wherever he went and trying her hardest to stay alive. It was like when she first joined the Akatsuki all over again, except this time she wouldn't be so naïve. This time, she knew she couldn't save him, so she refused to think about his death.

…

Midoriko held up her closed fist to stop the group of skilled shinobi behind her; instantaneously, their feet stopped moving and they landed on the tree branches that surrounded the blond Koizumi.

"What is it, Midoriko?" Shizuka asked as she directed her eyes towards the girl instead of using them to watch for enemies.

"I cannot pinpoint Naruto anymore…" Midoriko said as she pivoted in several different directions in order to try and locate the blond boy that she had been instructed to find.

"Why?" Kin asked as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "I am getting tired of all of these delays; one after another they hit us over and over again. It's like we're not supposed to be doing this."

"If you truly believe your fate is in someone else's hands and that destiny controls you, you're a fool," Shizuka spat as she glanced his way. "When I found you trying to stop a civil war, I didn't actually think you believed that giving in would be the best option."

"I didn't say that," Kin grumbled. "I just said that maybe nature is against us."

"Heh, as if nature would give a crap as to what we're doing," Ichiro said as he hit his cousin lightly. "Shut up and let Midoriko speak."

"Naruto's chakra suddenly dispersed among hundreds of clones. I have no idea which one is the real him…" Midoriko spoke at the sound of her name. "Does anyone have any ideas?"

"Are there more than one clone together in a group somewhere?" Shizuka asked with a frown.

"No…"

"Is there any unfamiliar chakra near a clone?" Ichiro asked with a raised brow.

"Several…"

"Are there any particularly large chakras near his chakra signature?" Fu asked with a sigh.

"Yes, just one," Midoriko said as she turned her head in the direction she sensed the signature that Fu had described.

"You said that boy is a Jinchuuriki, correct?" Fu asked Shizuka. "What if he was with the only other free one?"

"That would be the eight-tales if my information sources are correct," Ichiro added with a nod. "Right now all of the villages are united. It could make sense that they would pair their Jinchuuriki together to watch each other's backs."

"Well we don't have much to gone on, but I think it's our only option," Kin speculated.

"Let's head for the chakra signatures then," Shizuka said with a nod of her head.

"Alright…" Midoriko said with a nod as she continued in the same direction they had been heading when they stopped.

"Our approach should be quiet," Shizuka said as she jumped from a tree and flung herself into the air. Her hair whipped around her head as the wind rushed against her.

"Do you want us to suppress our chakra?" Fu asked as she looked towards the older Koizumi. Shizuka nodded in return.

"Alright, we're getting closer so only talk if you absolutely have to," Midoriko said to the group as she led them towards their destination.

…

Fu let out a sigh as she jumped from tree branch to tree branch and rushed towards Naruto Uzumaki with the rest of her squad. However, her mind could not focus at the task at hand. She tried so hard to ignore the fact that her undead husband had almost killed her, and then she was forced to watch him fade away again. The look in his eyes haunted her, from before when she watched him bleed out and also now, when she watched him disperse into dust. Her heart felt heavy because she had hoped for just a moment that he could survive again. Luck didn't seem to be in her favour anymore. Lying on the ground with every inch of his body burned he said that he felt so complete seeing her face again alive and that he felt no pain. He drew in his final breath after that. She knew in that moment that she'd never see his face again while she was alive. She wished it could have been different.

Fu closed her eyes and tried to even her breathing as she tried to force all of her memories into the back of her mind; she succeeded, but only felt as hollow as ever.

…

"It looks like Kameyo has betrayed you," Kabuto said with a smirk as he turned to look at the man in the mask behind him.

"Indeed," he responded with spite. "I never thought she would."

"What do you want to do about it?" Kabuto asked with a smirk as he pushed up his glasses.

"For now, we do nothing. Hikari must complete my order, there is nothing Kameyo can do about that…" the masked man replied as he looked towards the snake-like man in front of him.

"It's not the first time that woman has lied to you," Kabuto said slyly.

"That is no surprise…she has dramatically changed her priorities…"

"Love makes humans do crazy things," Kabuto responded with a shrug, "we both know that she loves her only heir very much. The succession of the main Koizumi bloodline means everything to her."

"Her devotion to me should mean more."

"You truly thought you had that woman ensnared?" Kabuto asked with a laugh. "She has been playing by her own agenda for a long time now. Do not forget that she ran away from you to raise Hikari with Orochimaru. She has a silver tongue and tells everyone that she was kidnapped, but I think we both know that isn't the case…"

"I think you should stop worrying about the treacheries of a woman you hardly know anything about," the man replied to Kabuto hostilely. "Soon enough she will be dead, it won't matter anymore by that point. The only thing people will remember about Kameyo Koizumi when I am finished with her is the way that she died."

**Chapter End Notes:**  
>I hate man in the maskTobi/imposter Madara. He sucks. I do love Sasuke and Itachi though. I guess I am an Uchiha brother fan. Thanks for reading and please do leave feedback in the form of a review, it makes me so happy to see the things people have to say! Thanks!/blockquote


	70. The Seventieth Passage

Author's Notes:  
>Like always, I am sorry this took me forever. Here is some insight into the life of Kameyo Koizumi.<p>

_**The Seventieth Passage:**_

When Kameyo Koizumi looked back onto her life, she realised that she had never done a single thing that she could be proud of. Every selfish impulse from her past had ended up badly. The only good thing she had was forced onto her, so she really could not take credit for her beautiful daughter; not that she could really call herself a good mother anyways. Why so many people looked up to her, she didn't know; she just knew she didn't deserve it.

As a young girl, she remembered when she had met the _true_ first Koizumi- a beautiful woman who had approached her one day while she trained herself in a field. The day she couldn't save her parents from the disease that had wracked their bodies with so much pain. Kameyo remembered that the grief of her loss did not hit her until much later. From the moment she had discovered their bodies, she ran from the truth.

She hadn't expected to see a second death that day.

She didn't know why, but the woman who approached her was truly miserable, she could physically see the pain etched onto the woman's face.

After seeing something in Kameyo, the woman transferred her inheritance to the young girl and then collapsed at her feet. She remembered looking into her lifeless eyes for quite some time with a dull throb emanating from her heart before leaving to go about her day.

The rest of that lifetime didn't matter; she had hardly accomplished anything worth mentioning except establishing the Koizumi clan by sharing her powers with people she deemed worthy.

The life that Kameyo carried out that meant the most was surely the life she had met Madara and Izuna Uchiha. She had taken over the body of an infant and prepared to live her life again, spreading her clan and knowledge.

When Kameyo had turned seven, her father felt as if she was wise beyond her years, like she had lived multiple lifetimes over and over again; he knew she was an old soul. However, despite this not being the strangest thing to discover about a child, there was a legend among the Koizumi about the founder of their clan. She was said to live through every generation and see all of her descendants. She had a special power that allowed her eternal youth. As Kameyo's father watched his daughter grow, he began to wonder about this old tale and contacted the elders of his tribe; they all agreed.

"_Your daughter is special, Kenji," the old man said as he looked out the window and watched the child in question play with the two Uchiha boys she was so fond of. "She is the original Koizumi. The woman who brought our clan to glory; you have been given a most sacred gift. You will be the man to raise this child into a woman and be the father of our leader, just like many before you." _

"_She took over my child's body?" Kenji asked weakly as he looked towards the daughter he had always thought to be his own, now realising that his daughter's soul had died many years before. _

"_Yes, she has chosen your daughter as her host…however, she is not yet aware of her identity," the old man replied. "When she transfers bodies, she purposely sets up a jutsu that will block her memories from her until she is at an age where she can handle them. It is said that when she begins to recover the memories of her old life, they will come to her in vivid dreams. You will know when she becomes aware." _

"_My daughter…what became of her when Kameyo took her body?" Kenji asked even though he knew the answer to his question; he just needed to hear it from someone else to believe it. _

"_She passed onto the next world, understanding the sacrifice she was making for her clan. She will be reborn again, able to live out her life as she deserved. Do not worry about her, Kenji; she is being greatly honoured by our ancestors for her sacrifice. Our leader needs to come back to us over and over again, because we continue to make all the same mistakes. Kameyo Koizumi was given the original wisdom by the daughter of the Sage of Six Paths and she must continue to pass it on in its truest form," the old man told him calmly. "It is not our place to judge her decision. For whatever reason, she chose your daughter." _

_Kenji looked towards the child playing again and frowned. _

"_That's not my daughter…" _

"_She thinks she is and if you do anything to damage that pure soul, so help me Kenji I will revoke your title as clan-leader. That child is a gift, she is sacred; treat her as such." _

Despite what the elder of the clan had instructed Kameyo's father to do, from that moment on she sensed his hostility and never knew what she did to earn it.

She tried desperately to make him love her, but he never seemed to care about what she did; good or bad. Kameyo remembered the way it hurt and the way she used to cry because of it. When her second brother was born, it only got worse.

"_Kenji, she senses that you do not love her," the old man snarled. "That baby boy is more important to you and she knows it! She knows that you love both of your sons more than you do her." _

"_Maybe they are more important to me," Kenji yelled in return. "They are __**my**__ sons!" _

"_And she is your daughter!" _

"_NO!" Kenji bellowed angrily. "My daughter died ten years ago! She died when that monster killed her!" _

"_Kenji…" the old man said with a sigh. "That little girl loves you and you're hurting her. She thinks you're her father, yet she doesn't understand what it means to have a real father because you have never spared a wink of attention since you learned the truth about her." _

"_She wasn't reborn to have a father, she was reborn to spread the wisdom of our clan…you said so yourself. I suggest you leave, I must train my boys." _

"_Kenji…you are playing with a force that you cannot handle. You will die if you continue to upset her." _

"_Well then maybe I did learn something from the mighty Kameyo Koizumi after all…"_

When Kameyo thought of that particular man, it boiled her blood, even when so much time had passed since he was alive. Kameyo sighed and closed her eyes, remembering the way she used to deal with her pain.

"_I finally found you! I've been looking all over the place," Madara paused and looked around. Kameyo knew that he realised he had never been to this place before. "Is this your garden?" _

"_Yeah," Kameyo said quietly as she rubbed the tears from her eyes. _

"_Kameyo, you're crying," Madara pointed out as he sat next to her. "What's wrong?" _

"_Does your father love you?" Kameyo asked quietly. _

"_Of course," Madara replied taken aback. "Why wouldn't he?" _

"_I think mine doesn't love me because I'm a girl…" Kameyo grumbled as she turned her head away from her friend. _

"_Oh…" Madara said as he grabbed her hand. "Well, I like you." _

_Kameyo smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. _

"_Thank you…Madara." _

Kameyo knew that it was around that time she had fallen in love with Madara, even though they were both only ten years old. From that moment on, she tried to spend most of her time with Madara, training with him, spending time with him, and getting to know him. She hoped her father would do one thing right, she hoped he would consider Madara to be her suitor.

His decision was one she never expected.

"Kameyo, your father and I would like to speak with you."

"About what, Ka-san?" Kameyo asked as she looked up at her mother.

Kameyo suspected they had summoned her about her birthday, but was weary of the serious expression her father wore; despite this, her mother was all smiles.

"You know the position of our clan, correct?" her father asked.

"Of course I do, Tou-san," Kameyo responded with a raised brow. "We are allied with the Uchiha clan."

"I am weary of this new alliance with the Senju and this new city," her father said with a gesture towards their new home. "I am worried about the tension between the Senju and the Uchiha. The Koizumi clan must do all we can to keep our position balanced here, so we are able to stay and live in harmony with the Senju."

"Tou-san, we are living in harmony. The Uchiha and Senju made a treaty and allied themselves. I don't understand."

"Kameyo," her father said with a sigh. "They are struggling for power and we're caught right in the middle. As you know, your two sisters are due to be married in the fall, both to Uchiha men. However, your brother has fallen in love with the sister of Hashirama Senju. We have decided it would be best to balance out our children to show we are truly loyal to both sides. Your mother and I have contacted the Senju and we have already chosen a suitor. You are to marry Hideki Senju; the first-cousin of Hashirama in the spring."

"I cannot agree to this, Tou-san…" Kameyo said as she closed her eyes. "It is harshly cruel to allow the entirety of my siblings to marry out of love, but unify me in an arranged marriage. I already love someone else."

Her father raised his brow.

"You don't understand your position, Kameyo," her father said sternly. "You are not the leader of this clan and you do not have control over this issue; I choose who you are going to be wed to, not you. I don't care who has stolen your affections, you are to marry Hideki. End of discussion."

"Tou-san, the leader of the Uchiha –clan has stolen my heart and he loves me in return. It would make things worse," Kameyo continued to argue with determined eyes.

She had not expected to be struck across the cheek.

"A romance that never had my blessing!" her father yelled. "Madara Uchiha will understand that he should have never had your affection in the first place!"

"My affections are mine to give to whom I please!" Kameyo yelled angrily. "You have no idea of who you are crossing. I am not the silly little girl you have always assumed and you will regret this if you go through with it! I am stronger than you think, Tou-san!"

"Kameyo!" Her mother said with scorn. "How dare you?"

Kameyo abruptly stood to her feet.

"Don't you dare try to lecture me for being rude to this man," Kameyo spit as she glared as him. "He has never loved me! Why should he get to control who I love when he has never loved me himself? You can tell Hideki that I refuse his proposal."

Kameyo began to leave the room, not willing to hear her father's reply.

"If I have to, Kameyo, I will lock you up until you no longer refuse," her father said with narrowed eyes. "You will never be clan-leader if you do not follow my rules. You will never amount to anything, if I have to, I will sell you off to the Senju. Don't make me do it, Kameyo."

Kameyo's eyes widened and her anger boiled to the surface as she turned towards him; however, before she could attack him, her father had stabbed her and taken control of her body with his own blood that had covered the knife. When he had even pulled the weapon, she wasn't sure.

"Now you listen to me, Kameyo. You are going to marry Hideki and you will cease communication with Madara."

Kameyo curled her lip and then spit in her father's face. He growled and lifted his hand, but then paused. After sighing, he let her go, but did not withdraw his control of her limbs.

"Get out of my sight. I do not want to hear any more of this foolishness. You cannot do anything, you are too young to take over and the clan would never revolt with you. Just hold your tongue and be a good wife to Hideki."

Before Kameyo could respond, she was obeying to her father's will and disappearing from his sight. When she arrived in her room, she destroyed several objects; anything useless and meaningless. She looked to her wall and saw a family painting and with a cruel smirk she tore it down and used her water jutsu to soak it; she watched as she ink ran and destroyed the painting with a satisfied smile, especially when the ink destroyed her father's smiling face.

If her father thought it would be this easy to control her, he had another thing coming. She knew she was special, she knew she was something more. He couldn't hold her back. She had gone the entirety of her life without his love, she'd be damned if she had to go a lifetime without Madara's. He couldn't take that away from her no matter how hard he tried.


	71. The Seventy First Passage

Author's Notes:  
>Here is the continuation of the last chapter for you all, on time for once! Have a great holiday everyone!<p>

_**The Seventy-First Passage:**_

"Look, Kameyo, a man does not do what he did to you unless he has something to fear," Madara said as he crossed his arm.

"My father has always hated me," Kameyo said with distaste.

"But why does he hate you?" Madara asked as he grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Think about it Kameyo; why would he try to chain you down as far away from your clan as possible, where you will have absolutely no power?"

"He doesn't want me in charge," Kameyo answered simply.

"But there is a reason why he doesn't," Madara said as he turned and crossed his arms. "You father has been angry with the Uchiha for some time. He feels as if we have trapped your clan in a bad position and have doomed you. He is trying to break our clan's connection…"

"So, because I agree with our alliance and want to continue following the old ways, he refuses to let me become clan-leader?" Kameyo asked as she raised her brow.

"It's more than that," Madara answered. "He fears you and there is a reason why."

"What is it then? You seem to know it," Kameyo implied as she ran her hand through her hair and frowned.

"Tell me, Kameyo, have you been having strange dreams lately?"

"What?"

"Just answer the question," Madara said as he put one of his hands on his hip.

"Well, yes," she answered with caution. "I have been dreaming about a woman…many women. I dream about specific things that has happened to them, important things. These dreams are so vivid, but what do they have to do with my father?"

"The answer is right in front of you, you're just not thinking about it sensibly. Think of your namesake, Kameyo…" Madara said as he turned towards her again.

"You're saying that I am the original?" Kameyo asked with widened eyes.

"That I am the woman who…well, you know?"

"It's the only reason he would fear you so much," Madara said as he crossed his arms once again. "You carry the old wisdom of your clan intact. You were the woman who encouraged your clan to ally and marry into the Uchiha clan. He fears the way you will change the clan once again."

"I've always felt detached from my family, like I don't belong there," Kameyo said quietly to herself. A sudden realization hit her; she was responsible for her entire clan and every decision she made would weigh heavily on every person in her clan. She would no longer be able to go about her life as herself; she would have eyes on her at all moments. She had unquestionable power. Kameyo looked into Madara's crimson eyes and held her breath. "I'm afraid."

He nodded and wrapped his gloved hand around her pale one.

"How long have you know?" Kameyo asked weakly; a part of her wondered if that was the reason he had been so kind to her, if that was the reason he wanted her. She held her breath, waiting for his answer.

"Since I found you crying that day," Madara said as he stepped closer to her and brushed her bangs from her face. He wiped away the tears she didn't even know she was crying. "You're wondering if I have been using you…I have loved you longer than I have known, Kameyo."

"What should I do about this?" Kameyo asked; she bit her lip as she thought about how long her 'father' must have known the truth.

"I wouldn't directly confront him," Madara said seriously. "You haven't tapped into your powers yet. He is still stronger than you."

"I don't want to marry a Senju!" Kameyo exclaimed as she held her head in her hands.

"Find a new host..." Madara suggested quietly. "Become someone else and then go into hiding until you are stronger than him. After that, take what is rightfully yours."

"But I don't know how to change hosts…" Kameyo uttered with a frown.

"It should come naturally to you if death is near," Madara replied.

"So I need to be killed?" Kameyo asked breathlessly. "What happens if it doesn't come naturally? What happens if I die?"

"Trust me."

…

"I have managed to motivate you and six others," Kenji said as he looked into the eyes of the one of the Koizumi elders. "All that remains in my way is that old man who identified her."

"He won't be easy to get around," the old man said with a frown. "However, we have our ways. What is it that you want?"

"I think she is planning to find a host…she has been spending time with a lot of the girls around the village. I can see the predator in her eyes; I even think that I have found the woman she is going to use next."

"It is unusual that she would pick an adult as a host. She has been known to pick children, that way she can grow into the community and build ties with the people," the man informed Kenji with a frown.

"I think this time she is trying to overthrow me," Kenji said as he looked out the window and into the garden; he saw the young woman he had always called his daughter and his lip curled into a snarl.

"You think she is trying to gain the advantage of surprise?" the man asked as he looked towards the garden as well. "Kenji, you are not planning to kill the original, are you?"

"No…" Kenji uttered. "I just want her to forget about her life and Madara Uchiha. Can you do that? Can you target her next body and place a curse jutsu on it? Make it so when a foreign spirit enters the body, they lose their memories?"

"I can," the man said, "but are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes…" Kenji said as he looked at Kameyo again. "She will ruin everything I have built."

"By doing this, you are claiming that your knowledge is more truthful than hers…you are saying that the sacred wisdom that was passed down from the daughter of the Sage is inferior to what you believe is the right path," the old man said with a frown.

"I know what I am doing," Kenji said with a scowl, "but that thing took my daughter's life. Perhaps it's time she paid for her crimes…"

"Is it really your place to judge her?"

"Are you on my side or not!" Kenji snarled as he turned towards the old man and grabbed the hem of his shirt.

The old man remained calm and made no move to make Kenji let him go.

"I am just trying to make sure this is what you want…"

…

"If something happens, make sure that you let my brothers know that I loved them very much," Kameyo said as she eyed Madara; her stomach felt like it was bouncing around inside of her and she was sure she'd be sick if they waited any longer.

"Trust me," Madara said again.

Kameyo looked towards her host, who lay on the ground unconscious courtesy of Madara. She was nervous knowing this woman's soul would cease to exit. She would be killing an innocent woman for her own gain. A small voice in her head asked_ "Is it really worth it?"_ However, she knew when she looked at Madara that it was.

She drew in a deep breath of air.

"Do it."

Madara lifted the gleaming blade to her chest and plunged it into her heart. Searing pain exploded through her body, but when her will to make it stop surfaced, she felt it no more.

…

Madara turned away from Kameyo's lifeless corpse that bled out and walked towards the brunette that lay unconscious. He knelt in front of her and waited for her to wake patiently.

After a short wait of ten minutes, that felt like an eternity, her ruby eyes opened.

"Kameyo?"

Her eyes lifted to look into his; confusion and fear was all that he could read from their depths. He knew right away that something was wrong; it was like his lungs had dropped from his chest and robbed him of the ability to breathe.

"Is that my name?"

Madara frowned.

"Do you know who I am?" Madara asked as he touched her hand. Her eyes lit up upon touch, but her expression didn't change.

"I'm sorry, I don't. Should I?"

"No…" he replied quietly.

"Are you alright?" Kameyo asked him as she slowly sat up.

"I am alright as I can be," he said as he looked into her eyes. "I have just lost someone very precious to me."

**Chapter End Notes:**  
>Feedback please?<p> 


	72. The Seventy Second Passage

Author's Notes:  
>Finally, things switch back to Hikari. :D AND I AM ON TIME AGAIN! Two weeks in a row, woot!<p>

_**The Seventy-Second Passage:**_

"And what is your name?"

"Shizuka," the red haired young woman said with a small bow of her head.

"I'm going to be your personal healer from this moment on."

Kameyo sighed and looked away from the woman in front of her.

"I don't need your help…"

"The council seems to think you do," Shizuka said with a raised brow.

"That's because the council has always interfered with me; besides, you're no older than twenty."

"I'm sorry, my lady, but you've grown very frail and old…they said you need a care taker and I'm not about to walk out of this house because you're feeling grumpy," Shizuka said firmly as she put her hands on her hips.

"So they want to make sure that I have somebody at my deathbed," Kameyo stated with a snarl.

"Yes," Shizuka said as she crossed her arms, "but not for the reasons you think. Lady Kusari, they don't want you to die alone…they want you to be comfortable when you move onto the next world…"

Kameyo had always hated the name Kusari; why her parents had cursed her with that name made no sense to her. She wished that she had been called something nobler than that.

"Whatever, girl," Kameyo said harshly, "watch this old woman die; it's not going to affect me anyways, so I don't know why you bother…"

Shizuka released a kind smile and wrapped her hand around Kameyo's frail one.

"I bother because no one should be afraid when they must move into the next world."

Kameyo sighed and looked away from Shizuka and out of her bedroom window. The birds chirped in her garden and then cherry blossoms began to dance in the wind.

"Leave me…"

"My lady," Shizuka said with a frown in a tone of voice that felt to Kameyo as if she was scolding her.

"I said leave me be!"

Shizuka sighed and stood up, turning and making her way out of Kameyo's room with her long ruby-red hair swishing behind her.

…

"Would you like me to contact your children?" Shizuka asked as she set a tray of food on Kameyo's lap. "So that they may visit you before your time comes?"

"I don't have any children," Kameyo said with distaste.

"Oh…well how about siblings?"

"I don't have any…"

"Would you like to call upon any other family?" Shizuka asked with a raised brow.

"Why do you think they sent you?" Kameyo asked bitterly. "I have always been alone; I don't know why they think I need you."

"Maybe because you have always been alone," Shizuka answered with a small smile.

"Hn…"

"Well, do you have a will?" Shizuka asked.

"No…just take whatever you'd like then donate the rest."

Shizuka frowned.

"Alright, Lady Kusari."

…

"It's time," Kameyo uttered as she looked up at Shizuka.

Shizuka smiled at her and grabbed a hold of Kameyo's hand, as she often did; Kameyo hated the physical contact.

"You shall be fine, Lady Kusari," Shizuka said lightly.

"I will be forgotten," Kameyo said quietly as her body began to grow numb. "I have no family, no friends, no anybody. Who would want to remember me? Who would want to send me into the next world with the things I need? I won't survive there either…"

"Lady Kusari, if you'd like, I will pray for you every day and send out the things you need on the day of your birth and the day of your death. I will remember you," Shizuka said with a disarming smile as she tightened her grip on Kameyo's hand. "I promise."

Kameyo truly realised in that moment that she was going to die, she could feel death's cold grip seeping into her bones; she also realised that she did not want to. A feeling burst into live inside of her, spreading throughout her veins and taking root within her mind. She did not want to die.

Suddenly, all connections to her body were severed, as if someone had cut a ribbon with a pair of scissors. Her spirit was leaving her body and she was utterly conscious of it. She suspected in any moment, she would fade and go to where all people go after they die, but instead her consciousness was thrust into the unsuspecting Shizuka. She felt her identity take root in Shizuka's mind, but an unfamiliar sensation washed over her. She tried to hold onto her thoughts, but it was like someone was tearing them away with an iron grip. Slowly, she began to forget her life; her childhood, her young years, and then her adulthood.

…

Shizuka opened her eyes and realised that she had stopped in her tracks. Her subordinates had come to a halt around her too.

"I'm sorry," Shizuka uttered as she looked around at them. "I got lost in my thoughts."

"It's alright, Lady Kameyo," Kin said as he stepped forwards. "Should we continue as we were?"

"No…I want to split up. There are several clones of Naruto and even if one is with the eight-tails, it could be a trap set by the Shinobi alliance. Tell me, Midoriko, can you sense the Hokage?"

"Yes…"

"I am going to go that way. Fu I want you to go towards the Jinchuuriki chakra signatures, and then I want you to dispense the rest of the team according to what you feel are likely targets," Shizuka said as she looked towards Midoriko and her mouth formed into a serious line. "Can you do this?"

"Yes, I should be fine by myself," Midoriko said with a nod of her head, "as should everyone else. Alright, Lady Shizuka, you want to alter your course to the Northwest, if you run in that direction you will find them. Kin, I want you to head east, Ichiro, you west, and I will go to the North east. Fu you want to continue going the way the unit has been going. Just do not go off course…the trees get very thick where the Jinchuuriki is located and I don't want you to get lost."

"I will be fine," Fu said as she crossed her arms and looked away from Midoriko.

"Alright," Ichiro said as he took off his backpack. "I have walkie-talkies, everyone strap them on so we may communicate if we find Ms. Hikari."

After the group had taken the devices from him and hooked them around their necks and put the earpiece in, he zipped his bag and flung it back over his shoulder.

"Let's head out then," Shizuka said with a nod as she turned around and ran in the direction she was told.

The rest of the group spared one last glance at each other before they turned in their separate directions and began to run as well.

…

"Itachi Uchiha…Hikari and Nagato too!"

Hikari looked up at the newcomers with confusion in her eyes. She had been helping Nagato walk with Itachi and was surprised that Naruto had actually sought out them instead of the battle field.

"You know them?" Killer Bee asked from beside him.

Hikari paled when she realised that he was there too; the last time they had seen each other, she had almost died because he was too strong. Now she could not even defend herself.

"Yeah, I know all three of them…"

"That girl was with your friend Sasuke when he attacked me," Bee told Naruto as he eyed Hikari. "Is she from the Leaf too?"

"Yeah, kind of."

"I never thought I'd have to fight you again, Naruto," Nagato said as he spoke up; his voice came out dry and weak, which made Hikari frown.

"You're in no condition. Itachi and I can handle this," Hikari told him in a hushed whisper.

"You're in less of a condition," Itachi said as he looked towards her, "you're pregnant."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Bee, do not attack that girl," he uttered.

"Why? He just said she had that Uchiha's kid in her…" Bee said as he tried to make his words flow together in a rap; it made Hikari want to punch something.

"No. I won't harm a child," Naruto said firmly. "Besides, I don't think that it's Itachi's kid…"

"It's probably been a while since we last met, Naruto," Nagato said as he looked towards the blond. "It felt like yesterday to me. You have even changed a little."

"Oh, you mean this?" Naruto asked as he looked down at the golden chakra surrounding his body. "I was able to control the Kyuubi's chakra. I call this 'chakra mode'."

"An inventive title," Hikari said with a sigh. She looked over at Itachi and could surprisingly see that he was a little surprised by the information; Hikari thought that perhaps Itachi didn't think Naruto would be able to control the Kyuubi so soon after he had died.

"I see, so that's why you look different," Nagato said.

"You succeeded in controlling the Kyuubi's power…I didn't think you would grow so much this quickly…" Itachi spoke calmly as he readjusted Nagato's arm that he was holding to support the other man.

"I was expecting it," Nagato replied, "he is my fellow disciple after all."

"I helped him do that, before he was just an outcast," Bee said as he attempted to rap again.

"Then that also means you were able to overcome your hatred, Naruto…"

"Yeah! It's thanks to you Nagato who taught me pain, Bee who trained me at the waterfall and my mother and father! It's thanks to everyone that I got this far," Naruto said with the cheesy grin that Hikari had always remembered him giving everyone.

"Naruto…I would like to ask you something," Itachi spoke up as he looked Naruto in the eye.

Naruto expression fell as he looked at Itachi.

"Yeah, I need to ask you something too."

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

Hikari widened her eyes as Itachi suddenly blasted fire towards Naruto.

"Oh no! Kabuto!"

"Yo!" Bee yelled as he used his sword to cut through the giant fireball. Bee's sword suddenly made a loud screeching noise. "Whoa, was that too hot? I'm sorry, a lot."

"Is that?" Hikari asked as she peered at the sword.

"Samehada…" Itachi finished quietly. "That means Kisame is already dead."

"Hey! I was still talking!" Naruto yelled as he glared.

"They're being controlled by somebody! Ignore their timing and just fight them!"

"Watch out!" Hikari yelled when she saw the familiar smoke that was caused by a teleportation jutsu.

"Above!" Nagato yelled. Hikari looked up and saw that Itachi was indeed descending on them from above.

"I know!" Naruto yelled in response.

"What happened to Sasuke?" Itachi asked as he clashed with Naruto; kunai against kunai.

"He wants to take revenge on the village! He joined the Akatsuki," Naruto yelled as he flung himself backwards.

"I know, but what didn't he go back to the village?" Itachi asked as he attacked Naruto again.

"He was told about your top-secret mission and want's to restore the Uchiha-clan name; he intends to destroy the village!"

"Was it Madara who told him?" Itachi asked as Naruto dodge another attack of his.

"Yeah, he told me too and I am guessing he told Hikari as well."

Bee came behind them and tried to attack with Samehada, but Itachi dodged and skidded back to where Hikari and Nagato stood.

"He told you too?"

"The same time he told Sasuke," Hikari said with a nod.

"I see…"

"So what he said was true!" Naruto asked loudly. "The Uchiha tried to take over the village and you-"

"That's enough, Naruto," Itachi cut in as he stood at full height once again.

"Itachi…you died playing the part of the villain in order to protect the village and Sasuke! I think he understands your pain and resolve," Naruto shouted as he stood to his full height as well. "But instead of inheriting your will, he decided to do the opposite. He wants to destroy Konoha! He wants to avenge you by crushing the village that made him and his clan suffer!"

"It's true," Hikari spoke up. "Sasuke is hell-bent on killing everybody. He has already tried to murder Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi. Not to mention, he has already almost gotten me killed a number of times, a few of them by his own hand. He has grown careless and insane. Madara poisoned him…"

"Does anyone from the village know this already?" Itachi asked as he looked at Naruto again.

"Kakashi-sensei and Captain Yamato were there too, so they know…but since we didn't have proof that what Madara said is true, Kakashi sensei told me not to talk about it. I don't know anyone else knows," Naruto answered as he took a step towards Itachi.

"Never tell them!" Itachi demanded in a tone that Hikari recognised as the tone he uses when he is utterly serious. "I want the Uchiha clan to maintain its honour. In addition-"

"My body is moving on its own!" Nagato yelled as he cut Itachi off. "Ban shou ten'in!"

Naruto yelled as his body began to be dragged towards a giant bolder that Nagato hurtled at him. Naruto used his chakra suit to dodge the attack by jumping off the surface of the rock and allowing it to crash into the ground.

"You dodge that well, Naruto!"

"I've told you! I've gotten stronger!" Naruto yelled in response.

"I'm leaving Sasuke to you," Itachi said quietly.

"I had already planned that," Naruto replied impatiently.

"Indeed I was right to entrust that to you…"

"Are you fucking kidding me!" Hikari yelled as she shook her head and pointed at Itachi. "You did this to Sasuke! If you hadn't of gone about doing what you did the way you did it, he wouldn't be this fucked up! You cannot just shrug off the mess you made onto Naruto! I have told you once, and I will say it as many times as I need to; you need to be the one to talk to Sasuke! You are the one who can convince him otherwise!"

Itachi sighed.

"I know this is my fault…"

"Then take responsibility for it!" Hikari yelled in return. "It's not that freaking hard! Sasuke only wants to do what he feels is right because of the way you died! He has been traumatised because he killed the only person who ever mattered to him! Itachi you need to talk to him because he will never forgive himself for what he did to you!"

Before Hikari could continue to chew him out, Nagato had bent over and performed a summoning jutsu.

"Oh crap," Hikari said as she jumped away from the battle.

"Stay back there, Hikari!" Itachi ordered as he looked towards her. "Do not come anywhere near here."

Hikari swallowed as she looked up towards the giant summons in front of her.

"Fuck…"

**Chapter End Notes:**  
>Feedback please?<p> 


	73. The Seventy Third Passage

_**The Seventy-Third Passage:**_

Hikari squinted and tried to see what was going on in the battle; things seemed to pause and come to a stop as soon as something black began to force its way out of Naruto's mouth. Once it was out, it began to fly and Hikari's eyes became as wide as Naruto's.

"That's a crow," Hikari uttered as she longed to get closer so she could possibly understand what had transpired. However, because of the summons Nagato had brought into the battle, she could not afford to move from her spot.

"Naruto! He's using Amaterasu!" Hikari managed to hear Nagato yell. Hikari swallowed and hoped for Naruto's sake, he moved; no one escaped the Amaterasu, no one.

Bee began to move quickly and threw a lightning-charged kunai, but Nagato's body moved on its own again and preformed the Shinra Tensei. As everybody tensed, Itachi kneeled and no black flames came from his eyes. All came to a stop again as the people fighting in the battle tried to figure out what had happened. Hikari swallowed and looked between them again. The same crow that had come out of Naruto's mouth landed on his shoulder.

"Itachi must have done something…" Hikari uttered as she peered towards the bird, trying to make out any important details; all she could see was the fact that it had one scarlet coloured eye. She knew it had to have Sharingan.

Everybody relaxed as Naruto studied the bird, but then Itachi suddenly opened his eye wide and yelled the name of his formidable jutsu; Amaterasu.

Hikari wanted to leap in and help Naruto, but then she realised it was not he who had been set on fire, it was the giant nine-headed dog Nagato had summoned. Itachi then turned on Nagato and looked at him; his body went up into a black-blaze as well.

Hikari's eyes widened as she tried to understand the turn of events; if Itachi had attacked Nagato, which meant he had somehow gained freewill again. Again, Hikari wanted to investigate further when Itachi began to speak to Naruto, but she knew it wasn't any use. Itachi had told her not to move from where she was standing and Nagato was not yet dead; she had heard he was incredibly difficult to defeat when he was alive, so she wasn't going to take any chances that would endanger Kuraiho's life.

To her astonishment, Nagato disappeared which made her entire body tense; she had this deep-rooted feeling that she should move, so despite her better judgment she jumped several times until she was out of the forest. She was happy that she had listened to her gut, only milliseconds after she had moved, Nagato reappeared and used Shinra Tensei to destroy the forest; if she would have remained there, the force and impact would have gotten her squashed by a tree.

Bee rushed forwards and fought Nagato as Hikari panted and looked towards the scene with wide eyes. She ran to Itachi, knowing he was safer than anywhere else.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she said breathlessly. "I'm fine. I just wish that this baby wouldn't stop me from getting exercise because I am feeling fatigued already with all of this extra weight on me."

"You should not fight or overexert yourself," Itachi said as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Stay close unless I go straight into danger."

"Alright."

Hikari looked up and saw that Nagato had confronted Naruto while she had talked to Itachi and his hair had somehow become bright red. He was holding Naruto and doing what looked like sucking energy from him.

"He is really dangerous," Hikari breathed. _"A jutsu like that could kill Kuraiho and I cannot afford for him to be killed. It would drive Sasuke over the edge...not to mention that I don't know what I'd do without knowing that one day I will get to look upon his face." _

Bee attacked Nagato as things began to look back for Naruto. Hikari wasn't sure what was going on, but it reminded her of the process that was used to extract Bijuu from their host.

"_But to do that on the battlefield would detrimentally damage everything. What if the nine-tails escapes?"_

Suddenly, Itachi grabbed onto Hikari and pulled her to his chest as he jumped towards the battle, his Susano'o went up around them and Hikari's eyes widened; she had never felt so intimately close to Itachi. It was like seeing and experiencing something that was only for his eyes.

Being in his arms reminded her of the countless times he had held her to him and she longed for that again; she forgot about Sasuke and everybody else. For a moment, she blocked out the world as if the red chakra of Susano'o was a wall and looked up at Itachi's face. His skin looked incredibly soft to the touch and his eyes shone with a kind of determination she had never seen before and in that moment, she felt the kind of love she had only ever felt for him; the kind that made her feel safe.

Time returned to her and so did reality; she realised that Itachi had also saved Naruto and Bee as well. Itachi set Hikari down and he looked down at her with complete seriousness.

"Stay behind me."

It struck Hikari through the core that Itachi was protecting her more than Sasuke ever did when she got caught in a battle; it made her heart sink in her chest a little to think that the man she had devoted herself to didn't even care about her safety and the man she had given up for him seemed to love her and want to protect her more than his own life.

"Got it," she said as she averted her eyes and nodded her head. She ducked underneath his arm to get behind him as he had demanded.

"Thanks, Itachi, you saved us," Naruto said as he looked back at him.

"What is the jutsu this guy is using?" Bee asked.

"It's incredibly powerful," Hikari uttered.

"He's Pain of the Six Paths…he's got the power of The Sage of the Six Paths; of course he is strong!" Naruto yelled. "Not to mention that this time it's not a corpse. He is the real thing! His movements and strength are completely different!"

"He's coming," Itachi uttered as he watched Nagato carefully.

Hikari looked up and saw that Itachi had not been wrong, Nagato had thrown up his arm and a black ball of energy flew into the sky and began to bring any loose rocks and trees towards it. After they had been collected, the ground under her feet began to shift and lift free from the earth. Itachi turned and grabbed her arm to make sure she didn't fall.

"Apply chakra to your feet and do not fall," he commanded.

"I know," Hikari said as she frowned and looked towards the orb.

Bee began to slide from where he had been standing.

"What is this!"

"The orb seems to have quite a powerful attractive force," Itachi said as he looked towards Bee.

"He used this Jutsu on me once! It's terrible!" Naruto proclaimed. "If it manages to get us, it's the end!"

"Hey Naruto," Itachi called.

"What?"

"How come you're alive if he used this on you?"

"If it catches us we won't be able to escape. The last time I could only make it thanks to the Kyuubi going out of control!" Naruto exclaimed.

"We need to stay calm and make a proper analysis. The black mass Nagato released is probably the central core," Itachi explained. "We should destroy that. Let's attack it at the same time using our more powerful long-ranged Ninjutsu!"

"Aim at the center!" Naruto yelled.

"You don't have to aim; we will take advantage of its attractive power. Any jutsu has a weak point!" Itachi responded.

"Let's do this, yo!" Bee exclaimed.

"Can you spare the chakra?" Itachi asked Hikari.

"Yeah, I have a little stored up in a scroll with me in case I ever need extra. It won't harm the baby to use some of what I have."

"Sound release: Sonic blast!" Hikari yelled as a small ball of energy formed in her hands and then launched towards its target.

"Yasaka no Magatama!" Itachi yelled as his Susano'o flung a blast that looked a lot like the tomoe in the Sharingan.

"Bijuudama!" Bee yelled in his released Bijuu form.

"Fuuton: Rasen Shuriken!" Naruto yelled as he threw his rasengan towards the ball.

The four of their attacks enveloped Nagato's jutsu and then destroyed it, making his eyes widen. He looked towards the group and then swallowed.

"I'm sorry, Itachi," Nagato said quietly.

"Are you back to normal?" Itachi asked. "This is the Sword of Totsuka…I'm about to seal you…is there anything you want to say?"

"Naruto," Nagato started as his body began to disintegrate. "I will go back to my master's place and watch over your story. You are the third and last book of the trilogy. The first book was Jiraiya…it was perfect. The second as often happens was a plot developer; just like me. I pushed you forwards." Nagato smiled at Naruto. "The last book, the conclusion is what decides the value of the series. Naruto, become a masterpiece, one so great that it writes off the trash that I was. Farwell, Naruto."

Hikari sighed and reached into her weapons pouch. She took a scroll from within it and absorbed the chakra she had stored, just in case.

"It's over…" Hikari uttered as she looked at Itachi.

"At least, for now it is," he replied quietly.

"I really hate this Jutsu," Naruto said as he looked towards where Nagato had been standing. "It makes people fight who they don't want to fight. It's on other battlefields as well, isn't it?"

Itachi sighed and looked towards Naruto.

"I will stop the Edo Tensei, and leave Madara to you," Itachi said quietly.

"No! I will stop it! I already said; leave everything to me from now on!" Naruto yelled as he began to preform handsigns.

A clone of Naruto appeared next to him, but both his original form and the clone lost the Kyuubi chakra mode.

Naruto took in a deep breath and sighed.

"You used the Kyuubi chakra mode for too long," Bee said. "Don't make any more clones, Naruto."

"Don't try to overdo it on your own," Itachi said calmly. "I am the perfect shinobi to stop the Edo Tensei. I have a plan…"

"I will deal with this war myself!" Naruto said confidentially. "I will take care of everything. It's my duty!"

"You certainly have gained power and become stronger, but you seem to be forgetting something very important," Itachi said quietly. "Listen and remember this; the reason the people of the village who used to hate you started to admire you and consider you their comrade is because you've always worked hard, because you wanted to be acknowledged by them."

Naruto nodded.

"You said 'It's thanks to everybody that I could come this far.' When you become more powerful you start to forget about others, become arrogant, and get attached to your ego," Itachi said thoughtfully. "If you try to shoulder everything alone, no matter how powerful you are, you will become just like Madara. If you try to do everything yourself, you will undoubtedly fail. Your father Minato could be Hokage because he had your mother and all of the other people who supported him. Isn't your dream the same as your fathers? Then remember this; it is not those who become Hokage who get acknowledged. It's those who are acknowledged that become Hokage. Do not forget your friends, Naruto."

"Naruto…I made a promise with a guy called Iruka. I swore to protect you and I won't let you go alone! I am still alive after all!" Bee exclaimed.

"You're right…I guess I was just too obsessed with having to do at least _something_," Naruto said as he pressed his lips into a firm line.

"It's alright, Naruto," Hikari said quietly as she stepped towards the blonde boy and put her hand on his shoulder. "I know what it's like to try and do everything on your own and to be in a place where you feel you cannot rely on anybody. In the end, it got me nowhere except frustrated and almost dead. Itachi is right; you need to rely on your friends and the people who love you."

"Thanks…" Naruto said quietly. "I'm glad you're okay, Hikari. A lot of us from the village were really worried about you when you disappeared."

"I know," Hikari uttered, "but I couldn't stay there anymore no matter how much I wanted to. It was dangerous. I hope you understand why I have been so cruel every time I have seen you recently."

"You're supposed to be on Sasuke's side…"

Hikari nodded and then closed her eyes.

Itachi looked towards the crow that had landed on his shoulder and then set it on fire with black flames.

"What are you doing?" Naruto yelled.

"Shisui's eye won't activate for another ten years. You won't be able to use it against Sasuke," Itachi replied. "Besides you possess something better than this eye; Shisui's feelings. That is what he really wanted to hand down to someone. His eye is not needed anymore. You can beat Sasuke without using it."

"You can meet Sasuke no too! You can-"

"No," Itachi cut him off firmly. "I have tried to do everything on my own and I failed. This time, I will leave this matter to his friends."

Hikari frowned.

"But Itachi, I know Sasuke better than all of you and it is not his friends he needs, he-"

"Hikari, I have already discussed this with you and told you why I can't, please respect that," Itachi replied. "Bee, take care of Naruto."

"Oh yeah!" Bee exclaimed.

"Bye," Hikari said with a small bow of her head. "Perhaps I will see you again before the baby is born."

Naruto smiled.

"I can't wait to meet…erm…"

"Him…his name is Kuraiho," Hikari said with a gentle smile, however her face twisted into an expression of pain and she looked down at her hand. "I almost forgot. I am supposed to warn you about a trap that the enemy shinobi have set. It is far to the east of here; however, send one of your clones." Hikari told him stressing the point of sending a clone; she would not let Madara win this game. "Do not go there yourself, understood?"

"Yeah," Naruto said with a nod.

"Good," Hikari said smiling as the searing pain stopped. "I'm off then."

**Chapter End Notes:**  
>Next chapter or so you are in for a BIG shock. :P. Feedback please!<p> 


	74. The Seventy Fourth Passage

_**The Seventy-Fourth Passage:**_

"Itachi, do you think I can trust my mother?"

The obsidian-eyed man came to a stop and then turned towards her.

Hikari landed on the tree branch with a thud and then stood up straight; she found that her eyes only reached the middle of his nose.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, there is just something suspicious about her," Hikari said as she looked down at her hands. "Something has never added up for me."

Itachi did not reply, instead he wanted for her to continue. Her words came out barely above a whisper.

"My mother is going to need a new Koizumi host…you don't think she is only helping me so I can become that host, do you?"

"I thought so at first," Itachi admitted quietly. "When she was first watching me train you, I thought she was trying to map out your abilities to make it easier to subdue you."

"But you don't think that anymore?"

"She made you stronger and taught you forbidden techniques. Why would she do that if she was planning to take control of you? By teaching you, she is bringing you up to her level in hopes that one day you will surpass her. No, Hikari, I don't think your mother intends to take your body."

"They're going to make me change bodies…"

Itachi's eyes widened.

"To get rid of this," Hikari said as she lifted her hand and showed him the curse. "Then they are going to hide and preserve my real body in hopes that after Madara is dead, I can go back."

"Have they chosen a host?"

Hikari bit her lip and looked away from him as tears welled in her eyes.

"Yeah," she said weakly, "they chose-"

Hikari was cut off when a sudden burst of energy slammed into her body with strength that was unreal and unrivaled to anything she had ever felt.

Itachi's eyes widened, but he wasted no time, he rushed forwards and jumped off of the branch in an attempt to save her from falling; the height would kill her child.

When he grabbed her and landed, she desperately looked around for the culprit of such a blast; the chakra had felt familiar but she could not recall who it belonged too.

Itachi inhaled and his body suddenly became rigid as he narrowed his eyes.

"Hikari get behind me, now."

"What?"

"Do it, now."

Hikari swallowed and did as she was told; the seriousness of his tone cut like knives.

The tension did not leave her when she felt the heartbeat and chakra of her child; strong and healthy. To be safe, she concentrated chakra around her womb, making an indestructible barrier; something she had unknowingly figured out when Sasuke had accidentally struck her with Chidori.

Itachi's tension didn't leave either; she could see it in the way that he stood and the firm tightness of his jaw.

Slow footsteps began to echo around them and the owner of them stepped into their sight; her long ebony hair fell down her back like a silky curtain and her milky blue eyes focused on Itachi, their whites completely turned black with the possession she had been put under.

Hikari felt like the air had been knocked out of her and every muscle in her body seemed to coil; she knew the chances of their survival were slim.

"We have to run," she urged Itachi as she grabbed his arm.

"I killed her before," Itachi said coolly, "I can do it again."

"I'm not here for you, Itachi," she called in her soft-spoken voice. "I am here for Hikari."

Itachi exhaled slowly.

"Shiori."

…

Shizuka had been running in the direction Midoriko told her to go for days, scarcely resting on her way to the battlefield; after so much time, she knew she was close. The amount of shinobi and Zetsu-clones she had killed had far exceeded counting; they wouldn't stray far from the battlefield.

Shizuka instinctively threw her open palm up at her side and sent a Zetsu-clone, which had been attempting to ambush her, flying into the forest with the use of her chakra. She snarled and continued to throw them aside when more stepped into her path, trying to block her way. Hundreds of them seemed to come out of thin air and she hadn't realised she had drawn her sword until she was cleaving them in half with it; battle had become frighteningly second-nature to her. It didn't make her tense or afraid anymore; it left her only feeling numb and covered in blood.

_"Madara would only send them after me if he's figured out that I helped Hikari…that, or these things just spread like wild-fire and attack anything in their path,"_ Shizuka thought as she lodged her blade into the junction of one's shoulder and collarbone; when her sword didn't come free with a yank of her arm, she pressed her foot into its chest and heaved her sword free, only giving herself enough time to drive it into another enemy.

Shizuka looked all around herself and realised that she was surrounded. It didn't take her long to understand that the more she cut and killed them, the more they'd multiply. She frowned and rolled her eyes as she slit her arm with her blade and wiped it down with her blood. She ran at the Zetsu-clones and began to attack, beginning to control them with every cut she made on their body; soon, she had turned half of the army on the other half.

She began to concentrate on teleportation now that they were distracted, however, right before she was about to disappear one of the fallen clones grabbed her blade; without second thought she let the blade fall and left without it. She was unwilling to bring a potential army with her.

When Shizuka landed she saw that she had arrived in the battle field.

"It's Kameyo Koizumi!"

Her eyes darted around to all sides and saw that shinobi were about to pounce on her. Without hesitation, she lifted both of her arms and stopped their movement's midair.

"I am not here to harm any of the shinobi alliance," she told them sternly, "I am here to assist you against the Akatsuki. As a show of good faith, I will let you all go instead of killing you all."

Shizuka did as she promised and they all fell to the ground.

"You're Hikari Koizumi's mother…"

Shizuka looked up and saw a red-headed man that she recognised from somewhere, but could not place.

"That is true," she called as she stepped towards them. How goes the battle? I know you have no reason to trust me, but I am here to help."

"We met at the five-Kage summit," the man replied. "I am the Kazekage."

"Ah, yes, I am sorry about threatening to kill you; however, you must understand what family means. I am no one person's side. I act for the benefit of my clan and my daughter. The Akatsuki does not benefit my people or Hikari. Konoha does. She loves that place and I have a feeling it will be the last place that welcomes her…I am here to help," Shizuka said firmly. "I give you my word as Kameyo Koizumi, the original."

"You're Hikari-chan's mother?" A blonde boy asked obnoxiously.

"Yes, as I just stated."

"How do we know we can trust you?" The Kazekage asked with a raised brow.

"Koizumi soldiers are fighting around you…if I tell them to, they will stop. I sent them here," Kameyo said firmly. "Not to mention the reinforcements I have coming that will aid you. Let's just say it will be a nasty surprise because the Akatsuki think they're for them."

"Let's trust her," the blonde boy put forth. "Hikari is on our side too."

"I will be watching you," Gaara said with narrowed eyes.

"As will I," the Tsuchikage said with narrowed eyes.

"You both know I could kill you will little effort…think of it this way," Shizuka said with a smile, "if I was going to kill you, I would have done so already."

"What's that!? Over there!"

Shizuka and everyone else jerked their heads towards the shinobi and then looked where he was pointing.

"Gaara sealed him, didn't he!?" the blonde boy demanded when he saw one of the resurrected shinobi.

"He managed to split and double himself," the Tsuchikage began with a frown, "in that condition?"

"Someone else is up there!"

"Who is that!?" For the first time in a long time, Shizuka felt the air leave her lungs during a battle. Her eyes widened and her heart stopped.

"That's not possible," she whispered.

Her mind began to rush and her heart began to beat uncontrollably. _"What have I done?" _she asked herself as panic and rage began to swell within her body creating a storm of emotions. _"That man! That vile disgusting man! He tricked me! He used me! He-"_ Without thinking any more about it, she began to move and then she was in front of him.

His eyes widened with the sight of her too, but then the Tsuchikage smiled through his bandages and Kabuto spoke through him. "It's not her...she died a long time ago. This is an imposter."

His eyes narrowed and she could see anger deep inside. She wanted to speak, but found that everything was not responding as she hopped. She had never been this _shocked_ before.

Her thoughts were cut off with the sudden pain and she felt her blood begin to drain away. When she looked down, she saw that a sword had not only slashed at her abdomen and left it spilling blood, but now it had been plunged into her heart and Madara's hand was connect to the hilt.

Shizuka swallowed and looked up into his eyes. They were cold and emotionless, so unlike the Madara she had known as a girl. He had always been kind to her, but then maybe he had lied about that too.

Panic gripped at her. Why wasn't she being sucked into another Koizumi body? Her eyes swept the battle field and even though she saw so many of them, she couldn't force herself to go. She felt weighed down and heavy.

She pressed her lips together as her chest erupted into terrible pain. She closed her eyes and then fell to her knees. Her vision blurred as she looked at her hands and her body began to sway; soon, all that she saw was the blurred image of Madara's shoes.

"If you're Kameyo, we shall meet again..."


	75. The Seventy Fifth Passage

_**Author's Notes:**_

I am so sorry it took me almost a month to release this, but I have been trying to get in last minute assignments and study for my exams which are approaching very quickly. I will try very hard to get the next chapter out. However, I have also been a little weary about writing because how close I am to the current Manga. I hate to mention the H word (Hiatus) but I may have to take one until I now more concretely what is going to happen with Sasuke. That, or I could do some filler with some character background and try to slowly progress; and a stress the word slowly. :( Sorry. I have an ending planned, but I want to know what the writing is doing with Sasuke. Is he forever evil or going to bend to Itachi's will? I'd like to see.

_**The Seventy-Fifth Passage:**_

Hikari chewed on her lip as her eyes found Shiori again; the woman was incredibly fast and was able to get around Hikari's defences like it was child's-play. However, before Shiori could do any damage or attempt to knock Hikari unconscious, Itachi stepped in and saved her each time that the woman tried. Hikari was beginning to feel helpless and like she couldn't defeat the teacher from her childhood; she didn't remember Shiori being this strong or capable enough to stand on par with someone like Itachi, but she was accomplishing exactly what Hikari never thought would be possible for a blind person to do and it frightened her.

Shiori had stopped trying to attack Hikari and now focused on Itachi; she dealt harsh blows from her fists, elbows, knees, and feet; Hikari knew she recognised her style of fighting from somewhere. It seemed distantly familiar to her, like it was similar to someone else's. It hit her then; either Shiori used to be Itachi's student, like Hikari, or they grew up together.

Hikari's eyes landed on Itachi and she watched his jaw tense as he focused on making sure not to slip up in his movements; one wrong move and Shiori would exploit it.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

A large fireball formed from Itachi's lips and blew towards Shiori. She dodged by jumping to the side; she threw her hands out and frowned.

"Futon: Kaze no Hari!"

From Shiori's hands a blast of wind split into several needle-like blasts. Itachi looked back at Hikari and then to Shiori and made a split-second decision.

"Susano'o!"

The jutsu picked Hikari up and then dropped her next to Itachi inside of its protective cloak.

"It seems I have underestimated her," Itachi said quietly as Shiori glowered at his jutsu.

"You're not alone," Hikari uttered, "and I was afraid of her to begin with."

Itachi nodded and then focused on Shiori again.

Susano'o launched its fists towards Shiori but she easily dodged the attack with fluid grace.

"The Itachi I knew was not a coward who hid behind a wall of chakra," Shiori called loudly despite her quite nature.

"She's trying to locate where we are," Itachi informed Hikari in a hushed tone. "She uses her voice as a means of seeing; she sends her chakra out and picks up the signal as it comes in contact with objects around her. She can see her chakra and anything it touches…"

Hikari frowned as he mind reeled to all the times she had used her blood to map out the insides of a person's body and wondered if Shiori was using the same technique on a grander scale. Whatever she touched with her blood lit up and glowed so she could literally see it from underneath their skin. If Hikari was correct, Shiori could see the outline of any object she touched or the outline of any person; however, to get more complicated and see the structure of a human body or an object she would have to force her chakra inside it.

"Do you know of a weakness to her abilities?" Hikari whispered to Itachi, trying to make it so Shiori did not locate her with the use of her more focused hearing.

"Not letting her speak or make noise," Itachi replied.

"Does she have to use her voice? Why not just send out chakra?"

Hikari's eyes widened when a memory of something Sasuke had said to her once came forth into her mind;_ "How do you normally focus your jutsu when your use your Kekki Genkai? Your eyes…"_

Hikari looked up at Shiori with a small amount of triumph shining in her eyes.

"Itachi," she uttered as she leaned up towards his ear so she could whisper more quietly, "she focuses her chakra with her voice; she cannot disperse chakra without the vocal focus, like how I cannot use the advanced form of my Kekki Genkai without focusing my eyes on my target. She has trained herself to release chakra from her vocal cords and follow the direction the sound goes. If we are able to silence her, we can temporarily stall her; I'm not saying she cannot try to adapt, so I give no promises for _after _we take her voice away. We will have to deal with her quickly."

"There must be a way we can confuse her eyes," Itachi said quietly as he looked towards her. "We have to figure out some way to distort the sound around her so if she speaks, it won't register correctly."

"Watch out!" Hikari called as pointed towards Shiori. The woman was speeding towards them at an alarming rate with a kunai drawn; however, when she got close Susano'o's fist knocked her back. Shiori slowly stood to her feet and wiped blood from the bottom of her chin, which she had smashed into the ground upon impact.

"Coward," she repeated quietly as she stared towards Itachi; Hikari could see such pain in her eyes, such regret and loathing. Hikari knew that Shiori hated what was being done to her by Kabuto. She hated being alive again; she had found peace in death.

Shiori lifted her hand to her throat and closed her eyes, as if she was reminiscing.

Itachi tensed, unsure of what she was going to do.

Hikari wasted no time; she flung her fists together and made a rapid series of handsigns.

"Echo amplification technique!"

Just as Hikari unleashed the jutsu, Shiori screamed and then her eyes widened and she fell to her knees as she held her head.

Itachi rushed forwards, out of Susano'o's protection, and towards Shiori. He attacked her with a brutal kick but she parried and then grabbed his leg as she slashed at him with the Kunai she was clutching in her fist. Itachi's eyes widened as he used his own lightning reflexes and blocked her attack. He pulled on the leg she was holding and then kicked her to the ground, only she didn't stay down. She vanished and left a log in her place as she appeared behind him with her fist aimed into powerful punch. He turned and blocked by grabbing her first, but she came at him with the other fist; he grabbed that one too.

Shiori panted and glared as she stared into his eyes; Itachi felt as if milky blue lava was trying to pour into his very being. He hated himself for being so cruel to her.

"I forgave you a long time ago," she whispered as if she knew what he was thinking. He saw a single tear run down her creamy cheek.

He wanted to help her, but wasn't sure he could. Her help would be useful if he could free her mind. He wouldn't mind having a chance to speak with her now that she was no longer affected by Madara; now that she was free of her curse.

"Do it…" she said feebly, "before I attack you again."

Itachi stared at her with a frown on his lips.

"Please."

He didn't want to hurt her.

"Please…"

He didn't want her to go.

She pressed her knife into his hands.

"_Please." _

**Chapter End Notes:**  
>Sorry it was so short! I promise this is not the end to Shiori, there is more, I plan to put in a little more background between her and Itachi; similar to what I did with ShizukaKameyo and Madara.


	76. The Seventy Sixth Passage

_**Author's Notes:**_

So, school is done until september, and as I promised I said I would get busy as soon as it was. I wrote this chapter the very day I got out. :)

_**The Seventy-Sixth Passage:**_

As a child, Shiori Takahashi didn't care for much of what was outside the walls of her bedroom; she would stumble, bump into things and fall too often. She hated it more than anything else, the sounds people made when they witnessed her handicap acting at its worst. She hated feeling so desperately weak when the rest of her family were shinobi; Koizumi and Uchiha shinobi.

Her mother was a Koizumi from her father's side and an Uchiha from her mother's. Her father was from the Takahashi clan; such a small and insignificant clan that it was hardly worth mentioning. She hated his last name too; she hated the reputation it gave her. She was nothing special, average, despite having the blood of two of the greatest shinobi clans running through her veins; she was more Koizumi than Takahashi and nobody saw it in her because she was blind and wasn't a shinobi. Her parents worried about her. While her older brother and sister advanced and became strong enough to defend the clan, she sat static and useless.

Shiori sat on her bed with her arms wrapped around her knees; she could hear the sounds of her siblings sparring in the garden outside of her house and she could hear her parents arguing with each other in the basement. She had always had exceptional hearing.

After minutes passed, the sounds died down and she heard the sound of the door to the back of her house sliding open.

"Shiori!"

She closed her eyes and slowly felt her way to the edge of the bed until she stood on her own two feet. She walked into the gathering room of her home and approached her brother, feeling her way along the halls as she went.

"Cheer up, beautiful," he said to her in a tone that suggested he was happy to see her when she stopped in front of him. "You always look so sad. Eight year olds should not be so depressed."

"Koichi, I can't see," Shiori said as she pulled her lips downwards; her grandmother had once said that people pull their lips down to make an expression that told others they were sad or annoyed.

"You may not be able to see physically, but I bet you can see things other people can't," her brother said as he ruffled her hair. "You're still going to be a shinobi one day, remember? You have to be able to see things others can't so you can benefit your team in a way no one else can."

"Tou-sama said I couldn't be a shinobi. He said I have too much of a burden on my shoulders," Shiori said as she turned away from her brother. "I want to go back to bed."

"Wait," he brother commanded as he grabbed her arm and spun her towards him again. "I have a special shinobi duty for you."

"I already told you, Koichi, father said I cannot be a shinobi!" she yelled as she tried to yank her arm away and tears welled in her eyes. "Just leave me alone!"

Her brother sighed and placed his other hand on her shoulder as he kneeled in front of her.

"Don't let what father says bring you down, he is just looking out for you," Koichi said to her gently. "Even though he doesn't have faith in you, I know that one day you will be a respectable shinobi that others admire. For now, dry your eyes and help me with this errand so that you may prove Tou-sama wrong."

Shiori frowned as he touched her forehead, indicating for her to shut her eyes. She did as she was told and he wiped the tears away from her small face.

"You're too beautiful for tears, sister," he said as he kissed her forehead. "Are you ready to help me now?"

"What is it?" she asked as she frowned at her own ability to stay angry with her brother.

"I need you to run this basket to Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha., they just had a baby and Ka-sama made them some food as congratulations," her brother said as he reached to the side-table next to him and picked up the basket.

"That's not a shinobi mission, plus, I don't know how to get to the Uchiha compound on my own," Shiori said with an annoyed sighed.

"You can sense chakra, right? I taught you how and you were good at it. Use that ability to find our grandmother," her brother said with a smile. "She lives in the compound. Find you way there and then ask her to walk you to their house."

"This sounds like a lot of trouble," Shiori said with a huff as she picked up the basket and walked towards the door. She slipped on her sandals and then opened the door.

"Good luck," Koichi said with a smile. "If you get lost, just remember your address right?"

"Right," she said as she closed the door and walked off.

…

It had been increasingly frustrating for Shiori to locate the Uchiha compound, but in the end she had managed to do it. She was lucky her mother had baked cookies, something that didn't need to be kept warm.

She walked to the grandmother's door and then knocked.

"Shiori!" her grandmother said with surprise when she opened the door. "Are you here alone?"

"Yes," Shiori said with a nod. "Can you show me to Fugaku Uchiha's house? Ka-sama baked them some cookies."

"I am guessing it's for the birth of their second son," her grandmother said with a nod of her head. She grabbed her granddaughter's hand and then smiled. "Come little one, I will show you there and then walk you home."

…

"Please accept this gift from my mother, Miyone Koizumi," Shiori said with a bow of her head. "She wishes that you receive her congratulations and joy for the new son in your home."

"That was very thoughtful of her," Mikoto replied with a smile as she took the basket from the small girl. "Wasn't it, Fugaku?"

"Yes, thank you, Takahashi," the man said formally.

"Would you like to come in, Shiori?" Mikoto asked. "I can make tea for your grandmother and you can see the baby."

Shiori frowned; she hated when people assumed because she had to tell them about her disability and then all she received was pity.

"If you promise to be careful, you can even hold him, Shiori," Mikoto said as she knelt in front of the girl and touched her nose.

Shiori forced a smile onto her lips.

"We would love to come in," her grandmother replied with a smile. "May I have your hand Shiori, so I can guide you?"

Shiori reached out and her grandmother took her hand into her hers and then guided her by the small of her back with the other.

"There's a step here, Shiori," she told the girl softly in her ear. "That's right; now take off your shoes. Good."

Shiori thought she could feel the stares of the Uchiha family as she walked into their home.

"Okay, now there is a mat right in front of you, go on, sit down," her grandmother said as she helped her.

"Please excuse my granddaughter if she should knock anything over, she is blind," her grandmother said to the family.

"That's fine, it's not her fault if she does," Mikoto said as she looked towards the little girl.

Mikoto placed a kettle on the stove and then ignited the flames with a turn of the knob.

Shiori heard footsteps enter the room and she looked up towards the source of the sound.

"Ah, Itachi, come here," Mikoto said with a motherly inflection in her tone. "Shiori, this is my oldest son, Itachi. He is about your age."

"It's pleasant to meet you," Shiori said as she placed her hands together and bowed like her mother had taught her.

"You as well," the boy replied.

"Itachi, I am going to give Hitomi some tea. Why don't you bring Shiori to your brother so she can meet him?" Mikoto asked as she looked down at her son.

"Yes mother."

"Please guide her through your home, Itachi, she cannot see for herself," her grandmother asked.

Shiori stood and turned towards where she thought the boy was. She felt his hand slip into hers and then he began to walk in the direction away from her grandmother, his mother, and his father.

"I am only a little younger than you," Itachi said as he turned and led her into a room. "This is the nursery."

"Oh," Shiori said quietly as she listened for any sound. She heard the sound of a baby sucking on a pacifier.

Itachi led her further into the room and then stopped in front of a wooden structure; Shiori assumed it was a baby crib.

"This is my brother, Sasuke," he said.

Shiori reached her hand forwards and gently touched the baby's soft face. A small smile came to her lips as she touched his hand and he squeezed his small fist around her index finger.

"He's so small," she said quietly.

"Would you like to hold him?" Itachi asked softly.

"I don't know," Shiori said with uncertainty. "I cannot see him."

"Here," Itachi said as he grabbed her hand again and brought her to a chair. "Sit here and I will bring him to you and help."

Shiori nodded meekly while Itachi picked up his baby brother and brought him to her. He helped place the baby in her hands and adjusted her elbow so she was supporting the baby's head.

She heard the baby spit out its pacifier and she assumed he had woken up with all the ruckus and movement.

"He likes you," Itachi said softly. "He's smiling."

Shiori smiled in return.

"Isn't that sweet," she heard the voice of Itachi's mother after her footsteps. "I need to feed him, so I am going to take him from you now. Itachi, why don't you show Shiori the garden?"

Shiori felt Sasuke being lifted from her arms.

"Here," Itachi said as he grabbed her hand and helped her out of the chair. Once she was standing he began to lead her through the house again.

After a couple of minutes Shiori heard the familiar sound of a sliding door and the next thing she knew, Itachi walked her outside. She took in the fresh air and then crinkled her nose; she was just waiting to fall over something.

"My father and I have begun my Shinobi training here," Itachi said quietly as he walked her towards a tree. She lifted her hands to its bark and felt indents that could have only been made by kunai and shuriken.

"I wish I could be a shinobi," she said quietly, more to herself than him. When she aware she said it aloud she turned towards him. "But I can't."

"Just because you are blind doesn't mean you can't," Itachi said. "Shinobi rely on more than their eyes."

"Yes, but my Tou-sama won't train me," she said quietly as she let her head fall.

"I'll help you train," Itachi offered. "I will be entering the academy soon, why don't you ask to go to?"

"I'm not sure my father would want me to," she said with a frown. "He thinks I cannot handle myself and I will get hurt."

"It's just the academy," he said quietly. "You should ask. If you can get permission, you can come over and I will help you with things."

Shiori felt her lips pick up into a smile before she told them to.

"Alright, Uchiha-san," she said with a nod. "If my father says yes, I will accept your help."

**Chapter End Notes:**  
>I hope you guys didn't mind that Itachi and Shiori sound mature for their ages, but it's because they're raised by high standing families. In the manga when Sasuke is first born, Itachi speaks maturely, so I had him speak maturely here too. Feedback, please?<p> 


	77. The Seventy Seventh Passage

_**Author's Notes:**_

Sorry I am a little late with this, I was really busy this last week because my twin nephews are here to visit me and we went camping, so I wasn't really around my computer. Please do forgive. :)

_**The Seventy-Seventh Passage:**_

"Please father, I really want to!" Shiori exclaimed instead of eating her dinner that had been placed in front of her.

"Tou-san, it wouldn't hurt to put her in the academy," her brother, Koichi, put forth after he placed rice into his mouth with well-practiced precision using his chop-sticks. "It's not like she is asking to become a shinobi, she is just asking to go to school and learn the basics. Plus, she will gain friends there. She is too anti-social for her age."

Her father looked at her mother and then back towards her brother again before frowning.

"I'm not sure, Koichi," he said as he looked down at his daughter. "She's blind."

"I can't see, so what? There are other shinobi who have only one eye!" Shiori yelled as she stood up. "Let me learn father, _please_!"

"I would let her learn," her mother put forth with a sigh. "She is not going to give up on this."

Her father sighed once again.

"Fine, Shiori, but if you get hurt or I feel it's too much for you, I will pull you out," her father said sternly.

A wide smile broke out across her face and she jumped a little in her place.

"May I be excused?" she asked with excitement.

"No," her brother answered without much thought. "You need to eat your dinner if you want to go to the academy. It takes a lot of strength being a shinobi and fatigue is not an option."

"Right!" Shiori agreed as she quickly resumed kneeling and began to eat her food again.

…

"You're learning quickly, Shiori," her teacher said with a smile as he looked upon the shadow-clone she had created for him in front of the class. "Can you transform the shadow-clone into someone else?"

Shiori nodded and then placed her hands together to form handsigns. When she was done, she looked towards where she knew the teacher was.

"It's my brother," she said with a smile.

"Excellent!" the teacher said enthusiastically. "You may go sit at your desk."

Shiori carefully climbed the stairs and then sat at her desk. She looked to her side and smiled at the boy sitting next to her.

"I'm glad that I listened to you, Uchiha-kun," she said quietly.

"You like it here then?" he asked her quietly.

"Very much," she answered with a nod. "I feel at home here."

"That's good, I had a feeling you would like it here, Koizumi-san."

…

"Look at you!" Koichi said with a large grin, even though he knew she could not see it. "Academy graduate at only ten! You sure proved father wrong, he never thought you'd be this good; they're saying you're a prodigy!"

"Don't," Shiori said with a blush. "I had a good example to follow."

"So, have you gotten separated into a team with an Uchiha?" Koichi asked as he folded his arms.

"How did you know?" Shiori asked as she furrowed her brow.

"They always do it," Koichi said with a shrug, "pair Koizumi and Uchiha together. My team-mate Hakuko is an Uchiha. Who did they pair you up with?"

"Itachi Uchiha," Shiori said with a shrug as she turned her head away from her brother to hide the blush that crept up onto her face.

"They paired the Uchiha prodigy with the Koizumi one? That's interesting," Koichi said with a smirk.

"Oh, just leave it," Shiori said with a huff as she turned away from him and began to walk towards the stairs of her room, feeling her way up them.

"Who knows?" her brother called up the stairs. "Maybe you'll be the next Kameyo!"

…

After Shiori had become a Genin, she and Itachi grew closer together as great friends. They rarely exchanged words, but they enjoyed each other's company and understood one another despite it. They were always in sync, they knew when to attack, when to defend, and when to retreat; they knew each other's mind for combat inside and out as if it was a made up language that only they could decipher. They had a bond that linked them together; Uchiha and Koizumi. However, when it came down to it, Itachi would always best Shiori because of her handicap. She couldn't see, and was especially vulnerable to genjutsu; Itachi's specialty. There was also great hesitation on her part when she fought him; she never could bring herself to seriously attack the Uchiha because she couldn't bear the idea of him being hurt by her hands. There were feelings stirring deep down within her being, ones she did not understand, but she knew she felt as if she would be lost if anything were to ever happen to her Uchiha companion.

Every time she was in his presence, she felt safe; something that she longed to feel as often as possible. It drew her to the Uchiha and she knew he was drawn to her.

Everything changed when they both turned thirteen; Itachi joined the ANBU Black Ops and Shiori remained a Chuunin. They were separated and she hated the way it made her feel on the inside; it was like losing a piece of what made her whole.

…

"This is not goodbye," Itachi uttered quietly as he touched her face and stroked the smooth skin of her cheek.

Shiori frowned and then looked away from him; she wished she could see the way he looked, to see if he was as pained as she was. She had found herself wishing to see him often.

"I always knew there would be a dividing line," she uttered as she closed her eyes. "I can only go so far, but you still have so much more to prove…" She gritted her teeth and balled her fists tightly. "I cannot blame you for leaving me behind; after all, we're very different, you and I. You have your Kekki Genkai and you have achieved all three of the Tomoe and mastered them. I can barely work my own abilities because of my blindness. They say I am a prodigy only because I was so skilled at a young age, but they're starting to realise my limitations. They're starting to doubt me…" she trailed off and then tears began to run down her pale cheeks and she began to shake. "I am so jealous and grateful that you still have the people who believe in you, Itachi-sama. I am glad you will never have to understand this utter loneliness that has befallen me."

"Shiori," Itachi said quietly as he touched the other side of her face with his other hand. "As long as I am here, you need not ever feel lonely."

"It's hard not to feel lonely when you have always been set apart," she said as she fell into a sitting position and hugged her knees to her chest; soft grass tickled her toes that were not covered by her sandals and the earth absorbed the tears that fell from her eyes.

Itachi knelt beside her and pulled her into his arms.

"I love you, Shiori," Itachi said quietly as he ran his fingers through her hair. "I will never let you drift away from me."

Shiori bit her lips and more tears leaked out of her eyes because she knew somewhere inside that it was a sweet lie he had uttered from his lips, one that would dig itself deep within her heart.

…

"Are you alright, Koizumi-san?"

Shiori shook and her stomach turned with an uneasy flop that made her want to bring up her breakfast.

"He…he did that?" she asked slowly as she swallowed. "He killed everyone?"

"Everyone but his younger brother," the shinobi confirmed with a nod. "The higher-ups would like you to come to the intelligence headquarters and allow your memories to be scanned. You were his closest friend; some even say you were his lover. He left you alive. We have to be sure, Koizumi-san."

"You think I had a hand in this?" Shiori asked, disgusted with the idea.

"It must be done," the shinobi said. "I won't escort you there; your brother has said he will do it to spare you a little embarrassment."

"Get out," Shiori hissed harshly as she pointed towards the exit. "Leave here and never return."

"Before evening, Koizumi-san," the shinobi reminded her with a sigh.

He took one last hesitant look at her before he departed.

Once Shiori was sure he was gone, she opened the door and took off barefoot into the forest and ran as fast as her feet would carry her to the place where she had always trained and met up with Itachi; their place.

Her feet were bleeding by the time she had arrived and she knew if she could see her vision would be completely blurred with tears. However, none of it paid off because she could not sense his presence there. Shiori let out a harsh scream and fell to her knees, wishing everything was a terrible nightmare; she knew Itachi had grown distant, but she would have never suspected the events that had took place the night before.

She couldn't bring herself to stand and before she knew it, she was laying on the cold ground with an endless amount of tears falling from her eyes; once again, she felt utterly alone.

**Chapter End Notes:**  
>So does anyone else feel like they can draw a connection between the way Shiori felt when Itachi left Konoha and the way Hikari felt when Sasuke did? I was aiming to show a bit of a parallel between the two in that particular situation. Ah, feedback, please?<p> 


	78. The Seventy Eighth Passage

_**Author's Notes:**_

I know this Shiori backstory is dragging out, and honestly I didn't think it would take this long, but believe me it's giving me a little time to let the Manga get ahead of me again. I am having trouble writing because I am so close to the current chapters. I promise Shiori's backstory is almost done, but I swear it's important to the plotline. :D

_**The Seventy-Eighth Passage:**_

By the time three months had passed since Itachi had left Konoha as a rouge criminal, Shiori's mother had insisted that staying in the village was harming her daughter's emotional wellbeing; within a week of coming to that conclusion, Miyone Koizumi sent her daughter to a Koizumi village far to the north of Konoha in hopes that her daughter would forget Itachi Uchiha and hone her skills as a Koizumi shinobi.

Shiori left Konoha without a fight; perhaps her mother was right, maybe Shiori's only friend killing her grandmother and the rest of his family hurt her. Maybe it was the fact that Itachi had abandoned her and broke his promise, but regardless of the way it had happened, Shiori and her mother agreed that she needed to relocate in order to recover.

It had taken a week to move into the Koizumi village that was located on the edge of Ta no Kuni; the Land of Rice Fields.

Shiori didn't mind living by herself, she saw benefit it in; she didn't have her brother or her parents meddling in her business, she didn't get the whispers and suspicious stares of the citizens of Konoha any longer. She was free from the judgement, accusations, and from a small portion of the pain she carried.

"Move it! Get out of the way! Lady Shizuka approaches!"

Shiori blinked and lifted her head when she heard the demand and then gasped when people began to shove from all directions around her.

"Hey! Watch it!" Shiori shouted as she tried to fight off the people around her, but it was like battling an ocean and she was blind; she could not defend all directions around her at once.

The pushing continued and Shiori found herself desperate to know what was going on; she knew from the shouting that someone important was trying to get through the busy market, but she had no idea of their location or what the crowd was seeing.

At that particular moment, Shiori wished she had control of the only unique ability she had ever known herself to have; she knew that when she touched people, sometimes she would get a glimpse of something that they had saw or were even seeing at the very moment of contact. It was how she knew what her brother looked like and it was how she knew what Itachi's younger brother looked like. She couldn't describe the way they looked to other people because she didn't understand what words like colour meant, but she could replicate what she saw and understand what was going on despite the fact that sight was so foreign to her.

Despite the fact that the ability was incredibly useful, she could not use it at will, but she felt like she needed it so desperately in the situation she found herself in; it was making her feel so weak and frustrated because people continually shoved her and she had no clue what was going on.

"I said move!" she yelled as she slammed her hand down on what felt like a male shoulder; the muscle was think beneath her fingers and well defined. She gasped when through his eyes she saw long flowing locks of bright hair, that looked like fire, and eyes with same hue as the sky hiding beneath cascading bangs; whoever the woman was, Shiori felt as if her eyes were boring into her soul.

"Hey! Don't touch me!" the man she had been using to see said in a disgusted tone as he pushed her away.

Before she registered what was happening, she was falling and she hit the dirt road with a painful thump.

She assumed that someone in the crowd knew her and of her condition because she heard the sound of some shoving another person and then heard them yell at the man who had attacked her.

"What the hell is your problem? You just shoved a blind girl!"

The sounds of a fight broke out all around her. Shiori gulped and began to panic because she had no idea how she was going to manage to get out of a crowd full of shinobi fighting around her; she was bound to be knocked over and stepped on.

She bit her lip and began to transfer her weight to her arms, but before she could stand on her own, someone grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet.

"Are you alright?" a voice asked her quietly; it was female and rang like a bell.

"Yes," Shiori said breathlessly. "I am fine; I was just caught off guard."

"Is it true? Are you blind like the man said?" the woman asked as she removed her hand from Shiori's arm.

"Yes," Shiori answered in a quieter tone, ashamed to admit she had lost her bearings and was utterly helpless until the mysterious woman intervened.

The sounds of fist fighting were all around them and Shiori began to feel a little more frightened.

"Right," the woman said.

Shiori heard her sigh and then heard her move.

"ENOUGH!"

The loud, yet commanding tone that the woman spoke in surprised Shiori; she didn't think such a soft-spoken woman could be so intimidating.

In an instant, the fighting stopped and the people were so quiet that the sound of a pin dropping would have been heard as clear as the sounds of the fighting had been.

"You are Koizumi!" the woman said harshly. "Act more like it. To shove one of our own into the dirt is unforgiveable, especially when she is blind."

"I am sorry, my Lady…I don't know what came over me," the man said in a rasped tone as if his mouth had gone completely dry.

Shiori felt somebody grab her arm and then she was being pulled along with them.

"Come, you and I have some things to discuss."

…

"You want to train me?" Shiori asked weakly as she looked to her side as if to see the red-headed woman sitting next to her on the park bench.

"Yes," the woman said in a tone that made it clear she had made up her mind. "I think you have potential and no one in this entire village will help you unlock that potential. You need to come with me, I am an elite Koizumi and I can teach you every instinct I have in my body for the art of our clan. I could tell by the hollow look in your blind eyes and the desperation on your features that you want to overcome your disability and become stronger…I can help you, but I have a price."

"A price?" Shiori echoed quietly.

"Yes," Shizuka said with a sigh. "I can teach you everything I know because you are old enough to take it in, but I am very sick and I am not sure how much longer I will be here to teach what I know to my daughter who is very young. From the moment your training is complete, I want you to begin training my daughter and her companion. I don't trust her father to do the job correctly and I am growing weak; I need to make sure that my daughter can protect herself."

"I'll do it," Shiori answered without much thought at all. "It is such a small thing to ask in return; how could I possibly turn your offer down? Besides, there are things I'd like to get off of my mind…"

Shizuka nodded.

"Then it's settled; I will stay here for one night and then you will venture back to Otogakure with me," she said as she stood.

"Otogakure?" Shiori said uncertainly.

"I know," Shizuka said with a nod, "but it will have to do. I have nowhere else I can go. You see, my daughter's father is from Otogakure. I don't have a choice but to be there."

"Alright," Shiori said with a nod of her head as she stood as well. "Follow me, I will show you to where I stay."

…

After two years of being with Shizuka, Shiori had learned everything she could from the woman and the woman was true to her word; Shiori was stronger than what seemed possible for a blind woman.

Shizuka had taught Shiori would to use the ultimate form of the Koizumi Kekki Genkai, which allowed Shiori to see the chakra of the world and have a form of sight. She also honed her special skills to tap into a person's mental vault. Shiori had learned to coat her vocal cords in chakra, so when she spoke, waves of chakra were sent out with her voice and she could see the blurred outlines of everything they bounced off of; once Shizuka had taught Shiori how to see and recognise chakra, the rest almost came naturally.

After that, Shizuka helped Shiori develop her skills with invading a person's mind; instead of just seeing everything the person thought, she understood everything. She had gotten so good at it that, without really focusing, she could faintly hear the thoughts of the people around her.

The powered scared Shiori because if she lost focus, she would become a vessel of the thoughts and memories that belonged to others; she would drown in so much information that she would forgot her own name and what her purpose was. She was not the only one who feared her ability either; sometimes she got the sense that even Shizuka herself was weary of it.

"Hey did you hear about that guy in Konoha, the one who murdered his wife and kids?"

Shiori's ears picked up and then she frowned; she had been hearing whispers of the event all day around the underground liar.

"Yeah I did, I heard he went nuts," the other shinobi replied.

Their footsteps began to become faint and before Shiori knew it, they were gone. She frowned and lifted her head as if to look straight ahead, but all she saw was darkness.

She sighed and then began to walk forwards again, but pounding footsteps running towards her made her stop again and look over her shoulder.

"Shiori-sensei!"

Shiori raised her brow when she registered the owner of the voice; Shizuka's daughter. Shiori found it odd that Hikari had ventured so far into the underground tunnels of Otogakure.

"Did you use your chakra sensing abilities to find me?" Shiori asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes, I did what you taught me! It took me forever, but I finally got here!" Hikari said enthusiastically.

"Well done, but why have you come all this way, Hikari?" Shiori asked as she scanned the area for any noises or the presence of an enemy; she had always hated when Hikari travelled around Otogakure alone because she knew there were people who would love to wring her neck.

"My mother would like to speak to you and Kabuto asked me to come and find you!"

"Alright, I will lead you back to your quarters and then speak to your mother," Shiori said as she turned around and began to walk. _"And after that, I am going to have a conversation with Kabuto about letting little girls who have targets practically painted on their backs wonder the halls alone…"_

"I can go back on my own," Hikari said with a huff. "Why don't you ever treat me like a real kunoichi? It's like you think I can't handle myself, Shiori-sensei."

"It's not that I don't have faith in you, it's that I don't have faith in the vile people living in this hellhole," Shiori said as she directed her eyes towards Hikari, hoping to make some kind of eye contact with the girl.

"But you don't have any faith in my abilities if you won't let me do things on my own every now and then; I got here didn't I? I can surely get back…"

Shiori smiled and then walked in front of Hikari. She knelt in front of the young girl and put both hands on the girl's shoulders.

"You remind me of a young boy I once knew; he was always in a hurry to impress the people around him…however, sometimes the best way to impress people is to show them how responsible you are," Shiori said with a small smile. "I don't know what I would do if some evil person attacked you because I let you wonder off alone. Even if you did beat them in the end, I would feel terribly guilty because I allowed it to happen by leaving you alone. This is how I am responsible, I try to look out for you and Midoriko as often as I can; please let me do this so I have a little ease in my heart."

"So you're not doing it because you don't believe in me, but because it makes you feel better knowing that you're protecting me?" Hikari asked in a confused tone.

"Precisely," Shiori said with a kind smile as she stood up. "Now come along, I will walk you to your room and then go see your mother."

"Alright, I think I can live with that, Shiori."

"You should enjoy the fact that people want to protect you now, because when you grow older, they don't seem to want to do it anymore," Shiori said with a sad smile. "People break their promises, Hikari, remember that."

**Chapter End Notes:**  
>I kind of liked the scene where Shiori met ShizukaKameyo, who didn't know she was Kameyo at the time. Just as a little back information there to explain how the character of Shizuka (the caretaker of Kameyo when she was an older woman and on her deathbed and then was taken over by the spirit of Kameyo, which I know is terribly confusing) got so powerful within the Koizumi village that is outside Otogakure (which is actually the village Hikari and Midoriko will run away to) is because she showed such prowess with her abilities and took charge of the clan because she is frankly a natural at leading. Shizuka is charismatic, people don't mind following her. Anyways, just some info for you guys. Feedback, please?


	79. The Seventy Ninth Passage

_**Author's Notes:**_

So guess what today is? For fans who don't know, it's Sasuke's birthday! Here is a little treat for you guys on his birthday; sorry he isn't in the chapter. .

_**The Seventy-Ninth Passage:**_

"I know it's hard to take in," Shizuka said as she put her hand on her subordinate's shoulder.

"Mother, Misane," Shiori asked weakly as tears began to blotch her eyes, "even Koichi?"

Shizuka sighed and closed her eyes.

"That's what my spies have told me," Shizuka uttered. "I am so sorry for your loss. I know you had hoped to greet them all again one day."

"How did it happen?" Shiori asked desperately as she grabbed her teacher's clothes. "What about my father, is he okay?"

Shizuka took in a deep breath and then directed serious eyes at her student despite knowing her student wouldn't be able to see them.

"You had better sit down."

Shiori's breath caught in her throat and her numbing hands dropped to her sides; those same words had been uttered to her once before.

"_You had better sit down…"_

"_Where is Itachi?" _

"_He killed them and ran, I am sorry, Shiori." _

Shiori lifted her head as if to look towards Shizuka and then swallowed the fear that had been building inside.

"He killed them, didn't he?"

"I'm sorry, Shiori…" Shizuka said with a frown as she stepped towards her student.

"I have to go…" Shiori said as she swiftly turned around and ran towards the exit.

"Shiori!" Shizuka called, but she didn't listen, instead she ran out the door.

Little did Shiori know that less than hours later, Shizuka would fall gravely ill and be put to rest on her deathbed; the woman would not even be able to utter the fact that she talked to Shiori, or where she went.

…

Shiori stood over the bed of Hikari Koizumi and frowned; she had never imagined she would be the one to hurt the girl so deeply.

Shiori knelt down and then touched the girl's soft hair; in her mind she saw what Hikari looked like and a small, but sad, smile appeared on Shiori's lips.

"You're such a beautiful little girl," Shiori whispered quietly. "You're going to become such a beautiful and strong woman one day. I never wanted to invade your mind, but I wanted to know what you looked like before I left. I wanted to memorise your face so that when I am gone, I can think about you and know what you look like."

Tears began to rise in Shiori's eyes and she hastily wiped them away with her hand. The sadness that swirled in Shiori's heart was not only caused from the death of her family, but because she had to leave behind someone whom she cared about as if they were family.

"I never want you to experience the kind of pain I have," Shiori uttered. "My life has been nothing but suffering, from the moment I was born into this terribly cruel world. I want you to live and have someone who truly loves you and will protect you from everything I have endured. I want you to love a man who will not break your heart and his promises and I want you to live a happy and joy-filled life. Become the woman I know you can be, Hikari, but you will have to do it without my help…"

Shiori kissed the young girl's forehead and tears fell onto her face. Shiori stood up and then walked towards the door and reached for the handle before looking over her shoulder again.

"I warned you Hikari, I told you that people break their promises…I am sorry I broke mine."

…

Night covered the land around Otogakure, and Shiori used it for the perfect cover; she was fast and could move silently. The shinobi who would be looking for her would never find her when they came looking; she would be gone without a trace come morning.

"It's a nice night for a stroll, isn't it?"

Shiori halted in her tracks and managed to keep her balance on the tree branch she landed on.

"Who's there?" she called as she applied chakra to her vocal-cords. She saw that, ten feet in front of her, a man in a cloak stood on a tree branch as well.

"Someone who can help you," the man replied as he appeared in front of her.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she felt the rush of air, and she tried to take a step back, but her foot felt nothing and she began to plunge into the darkness of the forest.

The man's reflexes were light lightning; he had grabbed her arm and stopped her decent in less than a second.

"You ought to be more careful," he said with a smirk in his tone as he pulled her to her feet. "After all, you know your own disability best."

Shiori's eyes widened and she bit her lip; she didn't recognise his voice and he seemed to already know a lot about her; he even knew how to target her weaknesses, as he just demonstrated.

"How did you know I'd be here?" she asked in a whisper as she looked up at him.

"Because I know what your father did," he said darkly. "I know you want to avenge your family."

Shiori swallowed.

"What does that have to do with you?" she asked as she narrowed her eyes.

"We can help each other," the man said smugly. "I happen to know where your father is at this very instant."

"So?" Shiori spat. "Why does that matter to me?"

"I also happen to know that you do not remember his chakra signature and you would have to travel all the way to Konoha to pick it up and then start from there; he could get away by them…he could commit suicide by then. We can help each other," the man repeated. "I will lead you straight to your father and let you kill him for what he did to your family and then you can help me."

"With what?" Shiori asked as she frowned; it disturbed her that he knew she had forgotten what her father's presence felt like.

"All I need is someone who is willing to help me keep my friend alive and help battle the disease he is facing," the man said, "surely that is asking little in return."

"You've been misinformed," Shiori said in a flat-tone. "Koizumi blood does not cure diseases; it only holds them off temporarily."

"That's perfect; you see, I don't want him to be cured, I just want him to be alive a little while longer…"

"If I agree, you will bring me right to my father?" Shiori asked with a frown.

"I swear."

Shiori bit her lip and then nodded, forcing her hesitation to the back of her mind.

"So be it," Shiori said with a sigh. "Killing my father is the last thing I want to do, so helping you won't waste any of my time. Let's go."

"Wait," the man said as he pulled a scroll from within his cloak. "I need you to give me a blood oath."

"Why?" Shiori asked as she laced chakra into her voice and looked at the scroll he was laying out.

"Why should I trust your word? We have just met…no, I want better assurance than that," he said as he grabbed her hand and put a kunai in it. "Cut open your palm and when you have, I will place it on the scroll."

Shiori tightened her grip on the knife in her hand and then frowned; she did not trust this strange man at all.

"How do I know you will really bring me to him?"

"This is a blood-oath," the man said as if it was a simple math-equation. "My oath and yours are both binding. I have to."

Shiori knew that she could easily go to Konoha, but she didn't want to take the extra month of traveling; her father could be dead by then.

"Fine," she said as she dug the knife into the flesh of her other palm.

The man grabbed her wrist and placed the bloodied palm on the scroll.

"It is done," he said as he let go of her wrist and then rolled the scroll up.

Shiori went to speak, but a burning sear in her palm made her eyes water and a scream escape her lips.

She fell to her knees and closed her eyes as tears began to drop into the dirt she knelt on.

"I'm sorry; I forgot to mention…it stings a little."


	80. The Eightieth Passage

_**The Eightieth Passage:**_

Shiori knew her father immediately when she stood in front of the window of the inn he was staying in because she remembered his chakra signature once she felt it again; it was like recalling a smell after a long time of not smelling it.

She quietly slid open the window to the room and began to hum very lightly, just enough for her voice to spread through the area but also not to be detected.

When her chakra touched him, she invaded his mind and saw through his eyes the kunai knife that was clutched in his hand; she was alarmed to see dried blood caked onto the sleek steel.

"_That was once the life of someone I love,"_ Shiori thought as she returned to her body and angry tears began to run down her face.

"I have been waiting for you, Shiori," her father spoke up as he looked towards the window. "Why don't you come out and speak to me for a while?"

Shiori jumped through the window and landed on the hard wooden floor in a crouching position.

"Talk?" Shiori asked bitterly as she watched her words bounce around his figure. "I don't think so."

Shiori put all of her strength into her legs and then pushed off of the floor, sending herself flying towards her father with her hand outstretched. When she reached him, she wrapped her fingers tightly around his throat and began to squeeze.

Her father's breath hitched in his throat, because of the fact that she was choking him, and he watched her angry tears seep out of her milky-blue blinded eyes.

"They all trusted you!" she yelled as she shoved him into the wall that was standing behind him; the force of her rage cracked the wall behind his back.

Her father's reaction to her was nothing but indifferent and it infuriated her more.

"How can you be so calm?" Shiori yelled as her grip on his neck tightened more than she thought possible. "I am here to kill you! I am here to avenge my family that you slaughtered!"

"I only did what needed to be done," he uttered out through choked breaths as he looked down at her.

Shiori's eyes widened and her grip faltered; her father took it as the opportunity to launch his fist into her gut and send her flying back through the window she came from. He pushed off the wall and followed suit, grabbing her mid-air and then throwing her to the ground.

Shiori let out a painful gasp as her back connected with the hard ground and her body made a small impact in the earth.

"Just lay there while I speak…" her father said quietly as he knelt down in front of her.

Shiori began to try and defy his wishes by shifting her weight and attempting to roll over, but he had stood and stepped on her stomach before she could even start to roll.

She closed her eyes in pain and tried to lift his foot that was crushing her mid-section against the ground.

"I told you to listen…I want you to hear this before I take your life," he said venomously.

Shiori's eyes widened as she began to struggle more, but the attempt was useless; he was determined to make her listen.

"You were going to massacre the Koizumi, weren't you?"

"W-What?" Shiori asked as she blinked in utter confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I know about Itachi," her father uttered. "I know why he did it! I know, Shiori!"

Shiori didn't know what to do in her situation; her father was speaking utter nonsense. Nothing he said made any sense to her.

"I haven't spoken or seen Itachi Uchiha in two years!" Shiori yelled as she used her new felt adrenaline to push his foot off of her and trip him with a swift kick to his shin.

Shiori jumped to her feet and then stood on her father the way he had done to her, one foot holding his chest down.

"What does Itachi have to do with you slaughtering my family in cold blood?"

"I didn't slaughter them," her father yelled with angry eyes. "I saved them! I saved them from you!"

Shiori's eyes widened.

"W-What? What are you talking about?" Shiori asked quietly.

"You were the prodigy they choose from the Koizumi-clan! They were going to have you kill everyone!" her father yelled.

"You're not making any sense!" Shiori yelled as she slammed her foot down onto her father's chest, but his body suddenly turned into a wooden log upon contact.

Shiori gasped when she felt the cold metal of a kunai knife against her throat.

"I saved them so they didn't have to die by your hand," her father uttered. "I saved them from the cold and brutal murders that you would have dished out! I saved them from the pain of looking upon your cold face before losing their lives!"

Shiori frowned when she realised the rumours about her father were true; he had lost his mind.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Shiori uttered quietly as she lifted her hand and grabbed a hold of his wrist and squeezed until the kunai dropped out of his hand; his unsettling rant had let his guard down and given her an opportunity. She turned around and grabbed him by the hem of his shirt and snarled.

"All I know is that you killed everybody and now you're going to die for what you did. You're going to die because they had to look upon your crazed face as they died!"

"I know they chose you!" her father yelled as he grabbed her by her hair. "I know they told you to kill everyone! I know that you we're going to come and kill my wife and children because of their Koizumi ancestry!"

Shiori closed her eyes in pain as he threw her to the side by the force of her hair.

"You cannot lie to me, you little bitch!" her father yelled with derangement spoken in every word. "He told me about Itachi and he told me that you were the Koizumi who would do the same! He said you were going to act when everything calmed down! He told me you were training and sharpening your skills for it!"

"Yes, I have been training all this time, but not so I could kill people," Shiori uttered as she slowly stood to her feet. She wiped blood from her lip and glared towards the source of her father's voice. "You're obviously confused and your insanity has no bounds. Everything you have been saying has made no sense and my pity has grown for you with every word. Nevertheless, you slaughtered my family and now I am going to carry out my personal justice for it."

"I saved them from you!" her father yelled.

Shiori closed her eyes and began to coat her vocal cords in chakra.

"I wish I didn't have to put down a sick dog," Shiori uttered, "but you're not only a danger to me, but the people around you. Your delusions have rotted your core and I cannot let you live any longer."

Her father gasped when her chakra invaded his body and began to take control of his bones, muscles, and the very blood that ran through his being; he had never felt anything like the force that invaded his body, or anything as strong as her will.

"You're not human," he uttered as he drew a kunai from his pouch and brought it to his throat. "YOU MONSTER!"

His blood sprayed onto the dirt and the foliage around them and drops of it landed on Shiori's cheek.

"I…saved them…from…you," he uttered as blood spluttered out of his throat and leaked down his chin from his mouth.

He fell to the ground and blood pooled around his body. His breathing slowed and then all life left his eyes.

Shiori's eyes filled with tears as she turned from the scene and began to slowly walk away; now that it was done, she realised that she had not been able to speak with him on any other terms than his death and some conspiracy theory that he was obsessed with. The man was nothing more than a frightened and paranoid shinobi; his fears and the words of others turning his reason and logic into insanity and derangement.

"_He died thinking that I am a monster…that I was going to kill my family. He died thinking he saved them,"_ Shiori thought with a frown.

"You did well…"

Shiori looked up and recognised the voice as the man who she had made the deal with.

"You watched?" she asked with disgust in her tone.

"Just the end," he said as he turned. "Now come along, I want you to meet my friend."

…

"I never thought I'd speak to you again," Shiori uttered as she heard the distinct noise of someone entering her room; it was funny to her that she had forgotten the feeling of her father's presence, but not Itachi Uchiha's. The way Itachi sounded, moved, spoke, and his chakra were all so much more memorable and were imbedded into her mind.

"Shiori…"

"Don't," Shiori said as she stood up and lifted her hand as if to silence him. "I don't need to hear anything more you have to say. I don't need to know why you killed everyone, I don't want to know why you broke your promises to me, and I don't want to know why you are here."

Itachi didn't say anything in return.

"I am just happy that I got to speak to you once again," Shiori uttered quietly. "Everyone I cared about from Konoha is dead…my grandmother, my family…I have no one left there anymore."

"You had made a home in Otogakure," Itachi replied just as quietly.

"A home?" Shiori asked with a faint cynical smile appearing on her lips; Itachi frowned when he saw the expression cross her features. "No, all I gained there was strength. I went there simply to overcome my blindness and live up the predictions made about me."

"Was it worth it?"

"No," Shiori uttered as she looked away from him. "My father killed my family before I could show them. Besides, if I went to Konoha to try and live out my life now that my family is gone, there would be no one to protect me there from the suspicious who think I had a hand in killing the Uchiha." Shiori sighed. "I don't want to work for Orochimaru and I can't go home. It seems as if the Akatsuki have welcomed me with opened arms."

"Shiori, you should not have come here," Itachi said sternly.

"Don't worry, Itachi," Shiori said as she walked towards the door. "You don't have to worry about your promises…I can protect myself now."

Shiori exited the room and Itachi frowned as he looked towards the door she had closed; what she didn't realise is that he had tried to keep his promise. He had been protecting her by leaving her in Konoha; she just didn't see it that way.

…

Shiori's mind drifted to the present as she pressed the knife into the hand of Itachi Uchiha.

"Please."

"Shiori…"

"You protected me once before," she said in a pleading tone. "You took my life because you knew it would only end in a terrible way if I continued living. You freed me from my suffering and you let me rest eternally where no one could ever hurt me again. Please, just repeat those actions before I hurt someone I care about! I don't want to break my promises to her again!"

Itachi lifted the knife and took a swipe at her throat, however, she parried.

"Damn! I can't control my body anymore!"

Itachi's eyes widened and he jumped back into the protection of Susano'o once again as she charged at him.

"Now what do we do?" Hikari uttered as she looked towards Itachi.

"I can kill her, she does not have the desire to live," Itachi spoke up as he looked at Shiori with an expression full of concentration. "I just need an opening."

"Wait a minute, look behind her," Hikari uttered quietly into Itachi's ear. Itachi squinted and managed to see a slender shape jump out of the brush and attack Shiori from behind, however, the woman sensed her and then turned to block her attack.

The silver-haired woman went flying and then landed in front of Hikari and Itachi; the punch Shiori had dealt to her gut made her cough up blood.

"Fu!" Hikari yelled as she began to move her feet as if to run, but Itachi stopped her.

"Look…"

Hikari looked towards Fu and saw her slowly stand to her feet and face Shiori, wiping away the crimson liquid from her lips.

"I don't know who you are, but sorry, I can't let you harm Hikari!"


	81. The Eighty First Passage

_**The Eighty-First Passage:**_

"Fu…" Hikari uttered as she watched the silver-haired woman attack Shiori with no hesitation or mercy.

"Hikari, I want you to run," Itachi said as he looked towards her out of the corner of his eye.

"What?" she asked with a frown. "Absolutely not."

"I can't fight the way I need to and protect you at the same time," Itachi said as he looked towards Shiori again. "She is formidable…"

"You don't have to worry about me, Itachi!" Hikari said as she turned towards him with angry eyes. "I can protect myself!"

"She has almost landed fatal blows on you three different times," Itachi said curtly. "You need to run while I defeat her."

"I can't just leave you here and run," Hikari said; this time around she wasn't trying to hide her emotions, her desperation was clear to him. "I won't run and find out that you're dead later on! I won't do it again, Itachi! I won't wait somewhere while you die!"

Itachi sighed and looked towards her once again.

"It's not a request, Hikari…"

Hikari's eyes widened when she realised her hand began to burn; Madara's order was still in place, she had to listen to Itachi when someone who needed to think Itachi placed the curse on her was in the vicinity. Fu and Shiori were within earshot; Fu counted as someone who did not know about Madara, therefore needed to believe Itachi originally placed the curse on Hikari before transferring it to Sasuke.

"No! Itachi!" Hikari yelled as tears filled her eyes. "Please, no!"

"Run away from this place, Hikari!" Itachi demanded as he looked down at her with the cold eyes she was so used to. "That's an order. I will find you when the battle is over."

Hikari began to clench and unclench her fist.

"Go, before it kills you."

Hikari's hair whipped to the side when Itachi took off towards Shiori, bringing Susano'o with him.

Hikari bit her lip, realising this was the distraction he was providing her with. She let out a choked sob as she turned and began to run away like Itachi had told her to. At the forefront of her mind, the idea of Itachi dying once again while she was powerless made her hate Madara more than she already did, but mostly, it made her hate herself for falling into his trap.

…

Fu threw her body at the woman she had been attacking, but the fight seemed to be static. Every fist and kick she threw was dodged and a counter attack was delivered afterwards, which she would block.

Itachi ran towards Shiori and launched Susano'o's fist at her, but she jumped back. Fu took this as an opportunity and wiped the kunai she was holding against a bleeding wound on her body in order to soak it in blood. She charged and then took a swipe at Shiori's chest; however, Shiori made chakra burst from the place she anticipated Fu's attack, which stopped the blood from entering her body.

Shiori touched ground again and then quickly sprung herself into back flips, avoiding an attack from Itachi.

Fu narrowed her eyes and looked towards Shiori's body; she knew what she'd have to do, but the time it took to do it was immense and she needed to get her blood into Shiori to do it.

Fu had a special ability that was unique to her Kekki Genkai; she could use her chakra to control the spirit of another person, even eject it from the body.

Fu watched as Itachi attacked Shiori relentlessly; she would need his help if her plan was going to succeed.

…

Hikari ran blindly while tears filled her eyes; she wanted to turn around and help Itachi because she wanted him to survive more than anything, but she knew she could not turn around even if she put all of her will into the effort unless she wanted to die; which wasn't an option.

Despite her sadness and longing to help Itachi, she continued to run; now that she was away from him her logical-self had begun to take over. She was thankful that Kuraiho was not hurt in the encounter with Shiori.

Hikari began to breathe heavily as her side began to cramp from the running; she wasn't used to such extra weight on her body. She slowed to a stop and then leaned on a tree, sucking in air and holding her stomach protectively.

She let a small gasp escape her lips when her son decided he would kick her hard; she was completely used to his movement, but it had snuck up on her, he had been pretty still for the last day. She smiled to herself because of the odd sensation, but she knew it meant her baby was strong and healthy.

Hikari slid down the base of the tree and held herself.

"I will always protect you…" she uttered quietly. "I will always be here for you Kuraiho because I know the pain of being abandoned; I would never do that to you. They would have to force me away from you. I swear, I will protect you until the day I take my last breath…you're all I have left."

Tears welled in Hikari's eyes as her mind reflected on Itachi.

"That man back there was your uncle…but some days, I wish he could have been your father," she whispered to herself. "It's not because I don't love your father, it's just because I want you to turn out like him; see the world the way he does. I named you for the technique your uncle bestowed upon your father and for the wishes he had hoped to pass onto him. Kuraiho, I want more than anything for you to carry out his dreams. I want you to show your father, I want you to make him better; he's sick right now…but I think once he sees you, he will get better."

Kuraiho kicked Hikari once again and it made her smile.

"I don't think it was me who could save him…I think it was you, all along…" Hikari said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "You're not even here yet and I would die for you." Hikari laughed to herself quietly as she wiped away her tears on her sleeve. "What can I say; I have a weakness for the Uchiha-clan…"

Hikari hugged her stomach again and it dawned on her just how pregnant she had become.

"It should be any time now…" Hikari said quietly. "I just wish you'd hold on a little while longer, just until this war is over; can you do that for me, Kuraiho?"

Her son kicked her once again and she smiled.

"You're pretty active today, aren't you?" Hikari said as she stretched and then stood. "You're probably telling me to get my butt in gear because it's too dangerous to stay in this place…alright, let's go little one."

…

Hikari had been running for what felt like a half an hour before something like a switch went off inside her; she felt a familiar chakra, but something was off about it. She frowned and looked in all directions, but did not see anyone. It unnerved her and her heart beat sped up a little; perhaps Shiori had caught up to her.

"Come out!" she called bravely as scanned the area around her.

A man's hand landed on her shoulder and instead of jumping out of her skin, she turned and attacked the person with a powerful punch aimed at their face; she had come too far to let someone attack her and put Kuraiho in danger. She would not let surprise get the best of her.

Her eyes widened when he grabbed her hand and then lowered it to her side. He stepped closer and then brushed his hand against her cheek and the other against her stomach.

Hikari felt like a piece of her had returned, like a hole was filled when he was in her presence again; she didn't like to admit it to herself, but she had missed him greatly.

She may have hated everything Sasuke Uchiha stood for, but she realised that she had been feeling incomplete with him missing from her life; she had become aware of just how much she had missed him now that he had returned.

"Are you hurt, Hikari? You were running as if someone was chasing you…"

"Sasuke…" she said quietly as she rushed into his chest and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

He was a little taken aback by her affection; the last time he had saw her, she was intensely angry with him. It was as if she was on the verge of breaking. She had tried to hide it and leave on peaceful terms, but Sasuke knew better; he knew she was still infuriated with him about what happened under the bridge he fought Danzo on. Sasuke cast the thoughts away and then wrapped his arms around her in return; it didn't matter anymore, she wasn't angry now.

"I missed you," she uttered as she closed her eyes and inhaled his scent, "so much…"

He nodded against her and held her tightly; his personality may have changed, but not his feelings for the woman standing in front of him.

"Hikari…I'm sorry about what happened under the bridge; nothing like that will ever happen again. I have given a lot of thought to my priorities and I have realised that you're one of the important ones; I will never lose sight of that again," Sasuke said strongly as he tightened his grip on her.

Hikari's eyes widened because of how sincere he was; he had meant every word as if he had said a vow.

"Sasuke…" she uttered as a small smile came onto her face.

"I'm guessing your plans got altered somehow," Sasuke said as he looked down at her seriously. "When you told me I'd know where to look for you, it didn't come to me for a long time…not until when I started thinking about how I would protect you when I went to destroy Konoha; that's when it hit me. How come you're not there now?"

"You're right…I got held up," Hikari said as she backed away from him and then looked up into his eyes. "I hope that the idea to go there didn't upset you, but I truly thought it was where Madara would never look and it would be a good place to meet up."

"There is no need for that now…he won't get close to you," Sasuke said with a frown on his lips. "How were you held up?"

A feeling of nervousness settled over Hikari; she truly had no idea how Sasuke would react to the idea of Itachi being resurrected. If he took it well, she might be able to fix everything if she could just lead him to Itachi; if only Itachi's order wouldn't stop her.

"Sasuke, I cannot follow you but I need to tell you something," Hikari said in a serious tone. "You need to continue running in the direction I came from and fast…your brother…Kabuto revived him."

Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Come with me," he demanded as he turned and began to run in the direction she had mentioned; she gasped when the mark on her palm began to burn.

A smirk came onto her lips when she saw a Shinobi running within earshot underneath the thick tree-branches they stood on; Sasuke's orders had overridden Itachi's. She had never thought she'd be so happy to feel the burn of an order being given to her, but she was ecstatic.

Without hesitation she began to follow so the burning would stop; Itachi couldn't stop her anymore, so could go to him and try to show him that she had become strong; she could show him that she could protect herself, and when she couldn't, there were good people on her side to help her.

The last time Itachi had tried to face his problems alone, he had died; this time, even if the end had to come, Hikari would be there with him. Hikari knew that she had always been surrounded by people who loved and wanted to fight for her, but Itachi hadn't; she was determined to show him that he had people who were willing to do that for him too.

**Chapter End Notes:** Feedback, please? Pretty please with whipped cream, cherries, sugar, and all the yummy and delicious toppings I cannot think of on top?


	82. The Eighty Second Passage

**Author's Notes:**

So, I chose today to post because it is Hikari's birthday! Happy birthday Hikari!

_**The Eighty-Second Passage:**_

Somehow, Fu had gotten Itachi to agree to her plan. It had been difficult to convince the man that it would be for the best, especially since it was hard to even speak with him because of the fact that Shiori was continually attacking them. Now all that was left to do was to actually perform her plan successfully.

Itachi leaped towards Shiori and put everything he had to close ranged taijutsu with her; he relied on the fact that even though her senses were acute, she was still blind and that always left an opening at some point. He also knew that making her use taijutsu required almost all of her attention because the amount of focus it took her; it was a good distraction, which was exactly what Fu needed.

Fu closed her eyes and formed her hands into the sign of boar and then began to concentrate on making her chakra seep out of all points of her body. It was essential that her body was coated in it if her special trick was going to work; she needed to make sure she drew out enough.

Fu opened her eyes and then began to focus on Shiori, making sure not to break eye-contact with her figure, which was not that difficult despite the fact that Shiori was moving constantly to avoid Itachi's attacks.

The chakra she had gathered began to stretch towards Shiori at a slow pace, forming the shape of an outstretched hand because it was easier for Fu to focus on grabbing an object if the chakra was physically formed into a hand; something she was very familiar with using.

Fu bit her lip as her chakra jabbed into Shiori's bust and then latched onto her spirit that was locked deep inside.

Shiori's eyes burst open wide as she looked towards Fu; a small gasp escaped her lips.

"Got it," Fu thought as she began to reel the chakra away from Shiori's body.

Out from Shiori's chest burst a blue light, which glowed like a dim flame. Fu looked towards Itachi and then flung Shiori's soul towards him; it sunk into his body and then disappeared.

Fu relaxed and then broke the handsign she had been using to focus her chakra. She sighed and then stood up slowly, shaky from using her abilities.

"It takes a lot out of me," she muttered as she looked towards the body that had once contained Shiori's spirit. It began to disintegrate and then eventually nothing remained where she had stood. "It's over."

"Her spirit is sealed within me?" Itachi asked as he looked towards Fu.

"Yes, she is dormant though and her soul will never surface because it is technically already dead…" Fu said with a frown. "It is the downfall to my ability…I cannot transfer souls temporarily to be a sort of guest in another's body; it's all or nothing with this."

"You are Kameyo's plan for Hikari," Itachi said as he looked towards Fu. "You're going to put her soul into someone else's body, which will extinguish the spirit of whoever was there first; I assume you will not choose anybody else but Hikari to be the active spirit."

"That is correct," Fu said seriously as she looked towards the man in front of her. "Her friend Midoriko has willingly sacrificed herself. As soon as Hikari gives birth to her child, she will be transferred bodies to be rid of the curse. However, what Shizuka does not know is that I have a different plan."

Itachi raised his brow.

"I will not kill Midoriko, she is too much of an asset to this clan…no I have a better plan," Fu said as she folded her arms. "I have to put Hikari in Midoriko's body because it will confirm Hikari's freedom from the curse, and therefore better protect her life from danger. However, I am going to try something I have never tried before…instead of only moving Hikari's spirit and therefore kill Midoriko, I am going to try and move two souls at once; I am going to make them swap bodies for a little while. Hikari will be safer than she is right now and Midoriko will have a chance to live a little longer."

"Hikari would be happy if you could manage that," Itachi said quietly as he looked towards the sky. Itachi's eyes narrowed as he looked towards Fu again, "however, what you propose could kill Hikari too; I witnessed the kind of focus you require and doubt you could actually concentrate on achieving the balance that would be needed between the two souls."

Fu sighed and then smiled.

"You act as if I have not practiced at all," Fu said as she put her hands on her hips. "For one, I have been testing it on animals, swapping souls back and forth. Out of the ten trials I have done, I only failed the first two; despite failing, I managed to place the souls back into their original bodies without any damage. With each trial, I tested it on larger animals until I tried it on two human-sized young bears. If you had seen me use the technique I used a year ago, it would have taken me ten minutes to take her soul and put it in your body; it took me less than one."

Itachi continued to frown.

"She is safe as long as I have strong people about to thwart any attacks from enemies," Fu said confidentially. "I would not even think of doing it if I couldn't."

…

"Fu!" Hikari yelled as she ran into the clearing that the pair had fought Shiori in; she was relieved to see a familiar Koizumi-face and to know that the silver-haired woman was safe.

Fu's eye lifted to Hikari and then gazed cautiously at the man who had followed her.

"I see you have recovered," Fu uttered quietly.

Sasuke paid her no attention, his eyes were solely on one person in the area; his brother.

Before Sasuke could utter a word, Itachi turned and took off into the forest.

"Wait!" Hikari and Sasuke yelled simultaneously.

The pair looked at each other and then nodded before chasing after the elder-Uchiha brother.

Fu rolled her eyes and lazily trailed behind them, determined to make sure Hikari didn't get hurt in the process.

"You are Itachi, right?" Sasuke called after his brother as he jumped through many different levels of branches, just to keep up with him.

Hikari had a hard time keeping up with Sasuke, finding all the jumping to be unsettling for her child, but she did not dare fall behind.

"I said wait!" Sasuke yelled. "Are you even listening to me?"

Hikari sighed and began to feel anger bubble inside; she had told Itachi what he needed to do and yet he was stubborn and refused to even look Sasuke in the eye. She couldn't help but wonder how guilty Itachi truly felt; she thought it could have been far greater than she initially imagined if Itachi was so determined not to face Sasuke that he'd run.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and released the arm of Susano'o and aimed it for his brother, hoping to catch him.

"Sasuke, wait, you could hurt…" Hikari trailed off into silence as she watched Itachi thwart Sasuke's grapple with the arm of his own Susano'o.

"This Susano'o; so you are Itachi after all!" Sasuke uttered through barely parted lips and made his legs move a little faster.

Hikari rolled her eyes as she fell a little more behind Sasuke.

"Itachi just let him speak to you!" Hikari yelled. "For me! You owe me that much after everything you put me through!"

Itachi looked back towards them and uttered something, but Hikari was too far to hear it; she forced her legs to go faster despite worrying what the speed may do to Kuraiho, she made sure that a protective chakra barrier was around her womb.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke demanded. "You should be dead!"

"That's a pleasant way to address your family," Fu said as she rolled her eyes.

"This is Kabuto's technique. I am here because of the Edo-Tensei," Itachi said as he looked back towards his brother. "I cannot stop now; I have important things to do."

"I don't care about that!" Sasuke yelled in a frustrated, yet desperate tone. "Now that you stand in front of my eyes, there is a mountain of questions I want to ask you!"

"Even if I tell you to leave this for later, you would not listen to me; would you?" Itachi called back; Hikari was sure he was sighing by the words he spoke.

"Do you remember what you said to me?" Sasuke yelled as he began to become angry. "You said that when I had the same eyes, I should come and find you!"

Hikari frowned and then looked away from him.

"Why are you running away?" Sasuke demanded. "Do you feel guilty because you lied to me, or do you run because you do not have the courage to tell me the truth?"

Itachi did not respond.

"I already know everything about you! That's why I decided to destroy Konoha!" Sasuke yelled.

Hikari frowned and took in a deep breath.

"Stop saying that!" she demanded as she narrowed her eyes. "Don't you see that words like that will only hurt Itachi? You're such a fucking fool! If you want him to talk to you, don't tell him you're going to take away one of the things he spent his entire life trying to protect!"

Sasuke looked back at her and then towards Itachi again.

"The confidence you show in your speech did not change," Itachi called as he looked back at Sasuke once again. "They told me about what you did until now…you have changed, Sasuke."

"That's wrong! You were the one who changed everything about me!" Sasuke said as he gritted his teeth. "I should have died! You were supposed to kill my parents and me together and yet…" Sasuke closed his eyes, as if reminiscing, and then opened them to look at his brother once again. "Why was I the only one to survive?"

"You didn't know anything about what was happening at the time…you did not know anything about the Uchiha clan's foolish idea," Itachi said as he looked away from Sasuke. "You were just a kid. Plus, it was not for your sake alone. I thought that one day I should be judged for the crimes I committed to the Uchiha. For that sake, I used the hatred within you and that's why I failed. All I accomplished was the hatred I gave you, which made you flee from the village; I turned you into a criminal, Sasuke."

Hikari bit her lip and then tried to hold back the sadness she began to feel; the pure regret in his words made her know exactly what he thought of himself. Why couldn't he see that he was a hero in her eyes?

"I wished that you would walk the right path and yet from the moment I died, you began to walk the wrong path…I even used Hikari thinking she could be a force to prevent this, but you tried to kill her when she got in your way," Itachi said as he closed his eyes. "You tried to kill her because of everything that I did to you, I not only ruined you, but I ruined her as well because of how occupied I was with my plans.

"Itachi, you did not do anything to me that ruined me," Hikari uttered quietly. "Sasuke did not mean to try and hurt me; it was just a simple mistake in timing."

"You wanted me to walk on a path of what you considered was right while I was ignorant about the truth? I don't wish to walk on such a path!" Sasuke called. "No matter how you rewrite the indications on the path, I can see through those changes already!"

"Heh…"

"What's so funny?"

"It is not just indications that guide you," Itachi uttered. "Sasuke, I am someone who has died…I will no longer speak to you."

"When you were alive you always poked my forehead. You could not look after me and then you ran away! Are you going to run away now?" Sasuke yelled with anger laced into every word.

"I already told you, I am not running away; there are important things I must attend to."

**Chapter End Notes:** Feedback, please?


	83. The Eighty Third Passage

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry this took me so long, I have been busy trying to get ready for University. However, I do hope you like the chapter, I enjoyed writing it.

_**The Eighty-Third Passage;**_

Sora scowled as he watched the door of the hut he had been hidden inside of with anxious eyes.

"I need to go fight in this war! I need to be with my brother and Asami!" he yelled as he pounded on the door with his fists. "They could die! I can't let them die! I need to know where Midoriko is, I need to know she is okay!"

"I'm sorry, but Lady Kameyo has ordered your detainment; I cannot let you out for it would not only endanger the life of Hikari Koizumi, but Midoriko Koizumi as well," a male voice floated through the door. "I am afraid you will not join the army."

"I will not die!" Sora yelled with frustration as he slammed into the door again with his fists. "I am stronger than that!"

"I cannot take that risk," the voice responded.

"I have to see Midoriko!" Sora yelled as he closed his eyes. "I have a terrible feeling that I will never see her again! Please!"

"I can't," the voice replied with a sigh. "I will not answer you again if you speak. I am sorry."

…

"You need to stay behind," Itachi said as he looked back at Sasuke.

Suddenly, his body released many crows and they flew towards Sasuke, trying to blind him.

Sasuke covered his face with his arms as the feathers whipped at his skin. He turned his head to see Hikari watching Itachi longingly; the crows did not attack her, they simply flew around her and blew her hair in the wind current they created.

Sasuke jumped towards her, wrapping his arms around her protectively as the ultimate technique of the Sharingan, Susano'o, activated and towered over them; rocks suddenly burst from where Itachi was and flew back at them, bouncing off of his protective shield.

"You," he said as he looked up at Fu after the rain of debris had stopped.

She stopped running towards them and watched him warily.

"Go back to whoever sent you and tell them that Hikari is with me," Sasuke ordered. "Hikari told me she had a team protecting her, just one of you is not enough. If you're going to do whatever you're going to do, go get the rest of the people you need."

Fu nodded.

"Right," she said as she turned and leaped into the forest, away from his sight.

Sasuke turned to Hikari and then helped her stand straight.

"He's obviously going in there for a reason," he said as he looked towards the cave. "Stay close so that nothing happens to you."

Hikari nodded and exhaled the breath she was holding. Before he could turn away to follow his brother, she quickly wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly too her, burring her head into the crook of his neck.

"No matter what happens from here on out, please promise me that you won't fall," she uttered as she looked up into his eyes. "I can't watch you die too."

Sasuke nodded.

"I won't die; I haven't finished cleansing the Uchiha name."

Hikari frowned; she had hoped he would say something about the child she was carrying, his child. She had hoped he would say he had to be strong for Kuraiho, but it seemed that she was the only one who thought that.

"Let's go," he said as he gently pushed her away and then followed where his brother had gone.

ikari touched her stomach and sighed as she watched him run towards the cave Itachi had opened up.

"What did you come here for?" Sasuke asked as he entered the darkened cavern his brother had entered. He spotted two figures, his brother and a man wearing cloak that had a snake coming out from underneath it as if it was a tail.

"Are you Orochimaru?"

Hikari's eyes widened as she stepped into the cavern and heard what Sasuke had asked, but upon seeing the man in question she didn't think so; there was something off about his appearance.

"Heh, not exactly," the man replied.

"Your voice!" Sasuke said as he stepped closer. _"That's…"_Hikari thought as her eyes widened. She had assumed he died along with a lot of the other followers, but now that she looked back on it she should have known he was alive.

"Kabuto…" Sasuke said with narrowed eyes.

"This is lucky…" the main said with amusement obvious in his tome, "I was not expecting my compensation for helping with this war to come here of its own accord. It works out quite perfectly."

Upon hearing those words Hikari noticed something that only she would notice about Itachi; what Kabuto had said put him on edge and had made his shoulders knot in tension.

She pursed her lips and looked towards Sasuke; she would be damned if Kabuto thought he was getting his filthy hands on him.

"Hikari…how nice of you to join us in that condition," Kabuto said as he glanced towards her. "It has been so long since we have seen each other and I have been meaning to visit but I have been a little preoccupied as of late."

Hikari narrowed her eyes.

"Visit?" she asked with venom in her tone. "I think the last time you came to visit me, you tried to poison me and ensure my death."

"Well, I had planned to do something similar this time," Kabuto said as he glanced towards her stomach. "I just can't allow that child to be born because it will unite many of the forces that I have been waiting so long to be ripped apart. I need this world to be on the verge of unhinging."

Hikari began to laugh despite his threat.

"You don't understand the extent of my protection, do you?" she asked as she placed her hands on her hips. "I may be pregnant, but I am not useless. I have two of the strongest Uchiha to ever live right in front of whom both would destroy you if you tried to touch me and I have an entire army of Koizumi soldiers who would die for my safety. One measly man who spent most of his life as Orochimaru's bitch could never best my defences. I am not afraid of you, Kabuto."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he watched Kabuto; Hikari could see the intentions to rip the snake's throat out for threatening his son.

Kabuto sighed.

"Well, we will see about that. I bet you're all a little confused as to what I am doing here…it's a little complex, I will try to make it simple for you," Kabuto said leisurely.

"Feel free to take your time explaining, I will stop the Edo Tensei in the meanwhile," Itachi said as he formed his hands into a hand sign.

"This jutsu has no weaknesses and no risks," Kabuto said as he looked towards Itachi. "I'd like to explain why to you, Itachi, but you see I don't think Sasuke would stand still if you were to do something. If you become too impatient, you might be unable to stop what could be stopped and then cause the opposite to happen in the end."

…

Fu ran as fast as her body would carry her towards where Midoriko had said she was going; logically, the girl should be somewhere near the battle.

She needed to find her fast because she had a terrible feeling Hikari was in danger; they both needed to take the girl somewhere safe where they were sure nothing would happen to her and allow her to have her child in peace without the threat of war all around.

_"Hikari, she is attached to Sasuke…I can see the look in her eyes, she holds nothing but deep love for him. When it comes time to leave him to have the child, will she have the strength? Does she know that there is a real possibility that Sasuke will be killed for the crimes he has committed and that Itachi must die again?"_ Fu thought with a large frown. _"I don't think she realises that she will most likely live out the remainder of her life alone and without Sasuke; she will exist with only her son keeping her going. I think that if this happens I may keep an eye on her because there is also a possibility Midoriko may die."_ Fu looked towards the ground with a sigh. _"I didn't like her at all when I first met her, she seemed like a spoiled brat; however, no one deserves to go through everything she has taken onto her shoulders. I will help her when the end comes because no one deserves to live more than her."_

…

"All of this was done because of the war," Kabuto said as he looked towards Sasuke. "Now you want to defeat Itachi again because he murdered the Uchiha clan and because I revived him. In other words, Itachi is currently a nuisance for both of us, Sasuke."

Hikari narrowed her eyes and wished she could slit Kabuto's throat where she stood. He'd stoop so low that he'd try to poison Sasuke against Itachi; the thought made her sick but she also thought Sasuke was stronger than that, he had already been tricked into hating Itachi once.

"Why don't we join forces and defeat Itachi together? We have the same power of the snake and the same master," Kabuto said with a smile.

"I am never going to call Orochimaru my master," Sasuke uttered as he glared at Kabuto. "I also think you don't get the point. I followed Itachi because I want to speak to him."

Hikari smiled at his words; for the first time in a long time, he had done something she had hoped he'd do. It would have been an extremely awkward situation if Sasuke had sided with Kabuto because she would have sided with Itachi.

Kabuto was silent for a few moments, as if pondering Sasuke's words.

"Then tell me, what side are you on now?"

Sasuke did not answer at first either; instead after a moment of silence he threw many shuriken at Kabuto.

Hikari was completely taken aback with Itachi deflected them with his own.

"Why?" Sasuke demanded. "If he's the same as Orochimaru he's an enemy! He's your enemy!"

Hikari's lips parted as she tried to draw in a steady breath.

"This man tried to kill me, just threated your nephew and also tried to turn your brother against you and now you're defending him?" Hikari asked weakly. "Itachi what's going through your head?"

"I will agree to speak with you both about whatever you wish to speak about later, if in exchange we defeat him first, without killing him," Itachi said as he looked over his shoulder.

Sasuke twisted his brow with confusion written clear on his face.

"If you kill the one who performed the Edo Tensei the jutsu will continue forever," Itachi said quietly. "First of all, I will use my Tsukuyomi on him to understand how to stop it. While he is under the effect of Tsukuyomi, I will control him and then stop the jutsu." Itachi looked towards Hikari. "Do you remember what I used to make you do when we were trying to corner someone we had to extract information from?"

"Yes," Hikari said with a nod of her head.

"I may ask you to do that again, can you handle it?" Itachi asked as his eyes fell to her rounded stomach.

Hikari did not answer at first; she lifted her hand to Kuraiho. She closed her eyes and then reflected on how useless she had been lately and how strong she knew she could be.

"I can do it," she said with a nod of her head. "I know that if I am in trouble, Sasuke will not fail in protecting me."

"You explained how you intend to defeat me very well; I only hope that it works as perfectly as it sounds. However, you must take into account what I said earlier, this jutsu has no weaknesses or risks…"

"Any jutsu has a weakness," Itachi said as he watched Kabuto with narrowed eyes. "The risks and weaknesses of this jutsu are me."

Sasuke took a deep breath and then looked up at his brother with serious eyes.

"Itachi, you always used to tell me that I had to wait until 'later' and you always lied; at least this once time, keep your promise!"

"Your nature stays the same until you die, but I did die once…I will keep my promise now," Itachi said as he looked towards his brother and then towards Hikari, "to both of you."

**Chapter End Notes:** I amg oing to warn everyone that this story is going to have to slow down because I am less than twenty chapters from being caught up to the manga. Feedback, please? It really does mean a lot to me.


	84. The Eighty Fourth Passage

**Author's Notes:**

So some of you will noticed that I tweaked the dialogue between Itachi, Kabuto, and Sasuke from the chapter of the manga. I know a lot of it was mistranslation,but a huge amount of it didn't string together well enough when taking it directly, so I tried to make it flow a little better. This is another reason I hate writing from manga chapters. I was definately not going to have Kabuto refer to Sasuke as ' ' because I KNOW that isn't right...

_**The Eighty-Fourth Passage:**_

Fu stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a team of six shinobi carrying a body through the dense forest; she could tell by the emblem on their clothes that they were Koizumi.

She found it hard to breathe when she caught a glimpse of the woman's face; it was like her throat had locked tight, her stomach dropped, and her heart ceased beating.

"Is she dead?" Fu asked as she approached the group.

The heads of the men carrying the body turned to her. She noticed then that two of them were Ichiro and Kin.

"The Lady Kameyo," Kin said sadly, "she was slaughtered during battle."

"Did she switch bodies?" Fu asked as she walked closer and touched the side of Kameyo's face.

"We're not sure," Ichiro said with a frown, "she was run-through with a sword and then collapsed."

Fu sighed.

"I cannot feel her chakra signature; but then again, who says it would be the same if she did switch? Did any of us know her when she was any different? I doubt it," Fu said as she crossed her arms. "The real question is, should we continue with the task she charged us without her guidance?"

"I think that's what she'd want," Ichiro said with a nod of his head.

"I agree," Kin said seriously, "the goal of this team was to ensure the safety of her successor, Hikari. Even if she has passed, I think it is best that we continue with our mission; it's what the Lady would want."

"Right, I will accompany you to find a safe spot for her body. After that, we will find Midoriko and then go to Hikari."

"It's odd to think that she is our new leader," Ichiro said quietly.

"Every once in a while, people will comment about how they're watching history being made," Kin uttered as he stared down the path they would take. "I feel like it's really true for us."

"I guess we will see…" Fu said with a frown. "You only get to make history if you're the victor."

…

"As a shy person, I am no used to being stared at by other people," Kabuto said with a smirk as he grabbed his hood and covered his face with it.

"To prevent our genjutsu," Sasuke said quietly.

Itachi nodded in agreement.

"Watch out for the snakes, they seem to be able to clearly sense our presence," Itachi said.

"Snakes can sense things through temperature and they also can do it by their sense of smell," Sasuke explained. "They know exactly where we are."

"You seem to have learned a lot about snakes," Itachi responded.

"I made sure I was prepared in order to beat Orochimaru," Sasuke said with a nod. "Hikari, stay back; I think they may be poisonous."

"Please," Hikari said as she crossed her arms. "Do really think that I can't handle a snake considering who my father is? You haven't ever bothered to learn what I summon, have you?"

"Snakes?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow.

"Unfortunately that is true…no matter how much they terrify me, they are what I summon. Haven't you noticed that I _never_, under any circumstances, use the Kuchiyose jutsu?"

"Che," Sasuke said as he smirked.

"It doesn't matter if you summon snakes or how much you know about them; this is my field. Nature will be on my side, no matter what," Kabuto said as he formed his hands with the sign of a tiger.

"Did those snakes just get bigger?" Sasuke asked with narrowed eyes.

"I think so," Hikari said with a nod.

"It may be the locational advantage…perhaps it's a trap, Sasuke," Itachi said quietly.

"A trap?" Kabuto asked. "I don't think so…"

The snakes suddenly rushed at them and began to knock down stalactites from the ceiling of the cave.

Hikari let out the breath she was holding when both Uchiha men used Susano'o to block the stones and to fight off the giant serpents.

"So this is Susano'o?" Kabuto asked.

Sasuke used his Susano'o to rip the snakes apart and began to go after Kabuto.

"Sasuke! Don't be too rough, remember not to kill him!" Itachi urged.

"He's got Orochimaru's powers; he won't die so easily!"

Sasuke aimed the arm of Susano'o at the cloak Kabuto was wrapped in.

"Sasuke!"

As Sasuke took the cloak away, more snakes poured out from it.

"Was that was the substitution jutsu?" Hikari asked as she peered around the room, trying to locate the real Kabuto; she couldn't sense him.

Snakes began to wrap themselves around the naturally-formed pillars in the cave, which made Hikari nervous about it collapsing on them.

Sasuke drew his katana and then threw it towards one of the serpents, pinning its tail to the pillar. The snake yanked its tail away and ended up splitting it in half along the sharp edge of the blade.

Sasuke turned and stared towards where Hikari assumed Kabuto was.

"Are you trying to escape by sloughing off your own skin? It looks like you are no more than a piece of garbage that got left behind by Orochimaru…"

"Do not underestimate me, Sasuke," Kabuto replied.

"Be careful Sasuke, I see chakra everywhere; I can't figure out which is the real one," Itachi said as he scanned the cave with his Sharingan.

"The technique I am using is an ability to transform the body into a liquid form. I use my body fluid to perform it, so it looks like I am shedding my skin," Kabuto called with a chuckle; his voice echoed from every direction of the cave. "It's a technique that I created after researching the Houzuki clan. Don't you know him too? It's Suigetsu. Besides that, I have an amazingly impressive recovery power…which I got from a woman of the Uzumaki clan after I studied her body."

"Karin," Hikari breathed. "Her abilities make more sense now."

"She is from the Uzumaki clan?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow.

"People from the Uzumaki clan all have red hair…they possess very strong life forces," Kabuto explained.

_"Naruto doesn't have red hair…"_Hikari thought.

"I'm not surprised that you had good enough tastes to select those three for your team," Kabuto said.

"I am," Hikari said with a roll of her eyes. "They're all annoying."

"In the world of Shinobi, if one doesn't have enough talent his existence will be totally denied. So I decided to take talent from others and make it my own!" Kabuto said with a certain amount of lunacy in his tone.

"It seems you possess the same ability as Jugo. Were you attacked by Orochimaru's curse seal?" Sasuke asked with a frown.

"No…that's just a pretentious trick; it's fake. An ability like that can only be gained by self-training at the Ryuchi-dou."

"Ryuchi-dou?" Itachi asked with widened eyes.

"I finally found it, the legendary place equally famous as he Myoubokuzan and Shikkotsurin!" Kabuto called with triumph in his tone. "Under the guidance of the Sage, I trained myself and gained that ability! I finally surpassed Orochimaru!"

Hikari wanted to throw up when she saw Kabuto's arm burst forth from a snake's mouth.

"Ew, he didn't steal this technique too did he? It's so gross."

Susano'o made his Susano'o aim a giant arrow towards Kabuto with its bow.

The arrow took off at unimaginable speeds and rushed towards the clump of snakes that Kabuto was emerging from. However, before it could strike, its path was suddenly altered and it plunged into the pillar behind the snake.

"My arrow? It missed?" Sasuke asked with widened eyes.

"I have always had the force of nature to help me," Kabuto said smugly.

"This is bad," Hikari said as she frowned. "He's not kidding, that was a Sage-like technique; he completely thwarted Sasuke's arrow with so little effort when most shinobi struggle to dodge it."

"Let me tell you something…people from the clan Jugo is from can absorb the force of nature," Kabuto said. "That's the reason he went berserk…the answer to why his power always went out of control all of a sudden. Orochimaru didn't care why Jugo went berserk, he always kept paying attention to the source of the clan's power and making investigations on that. He finally found the source…the Ryuchi-dou. Orochimaru tried to gain that ability immediately, but he hadn't found the right body that could bear the intensity of the ability."

Kabuto suddenly slipped out of the snake's mouth.

"Even he couldn't become a true sage, not unlike myself," Kabuto said with a high pitched laugh.

"I see, I was right after all," Itachi uttered.

"Great, another fucking crazy person," Hikari said with a large frown on her face. "Will I ever get away from people like this?"

"My power in Sage mode…"

"He's the same as Orochimaru then…an imperfect snake," Sasuke said with a smirk.

"I hope that you keep in mind that I am no longer a snake…the perfect force of the sage helped me shed my skin…I am a dragon now! Sage's technique: Hakugeki Jutsu!"

**Chapter End Notes:**

Feedback please?


	85. The Eighty Fifth Passage

_**The Eighty-Fifth Passage:**_

"Midoriko, we need to get back towards where Hikari is," Fu said as she panted and lent over, breathing heavily.

After she, Ichiro, and Kin had found a place to burry Shizuka, they went straight towards where they thought Midoriko was.

"I think she's going to give birth soon," Fu said as she looked at the blond woman. "I saw her not too long ago, she is very round."

"Well, let's go," Midoriko said, however, the saddened expression didn't leave her face.

"I'm guessing you heard about Shizuka?" Fu asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah…every Koizumi's talking about it," Midoriko said with a frown. "Some of the last things I said to her were really awful."

"Well, let's not dwell on it now, let's save Hikari," Ichiro said as he stepped forwards and put a hand on Midoriko's shoulder. "I don't think you were in the wrong by defending your friend from Lady Kameyo. What you said was justified."

"That doesn't make me feel any better about it," Midoriko said quietly as she began to follow Fu; the silver-haired woman had already turned around and began to run towards Hikari's chakra signature.

"Come on, I don't want to waste any time," she called back to them. "She's with both of the Uchiha brothers."

Kin and Ichiro looked at each other nervously.

"That's not going to go over well, is it?"

…

Hikari had never thought she'd see the day where Itachi and Sasuke would work together to defeat an opponent; after all, how could she? Itachi had been dead. However, seeing the sight in front of her made her heart feel like it was soaring; she knew they'd be able to say the things they were never able to say before.

_"I miss him,"_Sasuke had admitted to Hikari less than a half-year ago. Now he could say that to his brother.

_"I wish I could save Itachi…not for myself this time, but for Sasuke. After so much pain and misery, he deserves to have his brother,"_ Hikari thought as she watched them stand next to each other with saddened eyes. _"No matter how much I like to say I hate him, I understand Sasuke; he's lonely and hurting on the inside. He just doesn't know how to deal with it. Please Itachi, please show him the way. I couldn't, but I truly believe that your love could change him as much as your hate did. Please."_

Hikari's mind reeled to Konoha, when she visited Sasuke in the hospital; what if Itachi had told him the truth then?

_"Would he be the way he is now? Would he have tried to convince Itachi to come home? Would we be happier than we are now?" _Hikari shook her head and looked at the back of Sasuke's thick spiky-haired head; she knew better than to think like that. She could not change the past.

Hikari watched as both brothers activated Susano'o and tried to corner Kabuto; the way they could work in such amazing sync surprised Hikari, they hadn't been around each other in a peaceful environment for almost a decade, yet they fought like they had been by each other's side the entire time.

Hikari was torn from her thoughts and her breath was stolen from her lungs as she watched Kabuto run Itachi through with Sasuke's sword. She swallowed as her eyes widened; never, in all of her time with him had she seen Itachi get badly injured. Sudden stress came over her, and she felt like the pressure of a tornado was twisting at her mind.

She tasted relief when she saw his body burst into a flock of crows; she let go of the breath she had been holding. However, the relief didn't stop the pain in her body from throbbing.

"Oh," she said aloud as she held out her hand to steady herself on the cave wall.

Itachi appeared with Sasuke's sword in hand and swiped at Kabuto's head. Sasuke smirked and looked back at her, but his expression grew worried when he saw the pained look in her eyes.

"Itachi Uchiha, I swear I will hurt you if you ever scare me like that again!" she yelled as she held her stomach. "You freaked me out so much that Kuraiho is majorly stressing out."

Sasuke looked back at her alarmed when he realised her voice was laced with pain and her face was twisted with it too.

"Is he going to be born?"

"No," she said with breathless laughter. "He's just moving around a lot and seriously kicking me. I thought my heart stopped, I think he did too."

"Are you in pain?"

"A little, Itachi's stunt caused my muscles in my chest to seize up," she said with a light glare directed towards the other brother.

Kabuto landed on the far side of the cave and Sasuke walked to his brother's side.

Hikari slid to the floor of the cave and watched them from a distance, her legs were shaky and she was sure she'd fall if she tried to stand any longer.

"I'm sorry that I worried you, Hikari," Itachi said over his shoulder.

"Just don't do it again and protect Sasuke," Hikari called back as she held her head.

Kabuto smirked at them.

"Even though you used to hate your brother so much, you two seem to be getting along great. However, I can't understand what you would want to know from a dead person."

Sasuke looked at his brother.

"The truth."

"That's so sad," Kabuto said with a laugh. "It sounds as if you're suspicious of your brother. Sasuke, does that mean you know the truth about him?"

Sasuke looked at Itachi again, but there was a certain discomfort in his eyes.

Hikari swallowed and looked at Sasuke very carefully; she did not like where this seemed to be going.

"Sasuke," she said in a pleading tone, "do not listen to Kabuto, not matter what he says."

Sasuke flicked his eyes to hers and they stared at each other; she got a feeling, like he was trying to comfort her with his gaze; trying to assure her nothing bad would happen. A small smile came to her lips.

"Listen to me, trust me," she mouthed.

He looked back at Kabuto.

"Now I see why after defeating him you didn't go back to Konoha," Kabuto said, ignoring Hikari's interruption. "Your actions suddenly make sense…you want to destroy Konoha because it make Itachi suffer."

Sasuke didn't say anything, but the firm line of his lips dropped to a frown.

"You're not denying it," Kabuto said as he pushed up his glasses. "You followed Itachi this far because you want to hear the truth from him. However, I told you earlier, your brother is a liar. That's why it's weird."

Hikari frowned and glared at Kabuto. As if he had sensed her eyes, he turned to look at her.

"He didn't only take your family away, but your future too…" Kabuto smirked as he eyed Hikari's very pregnant stomach. "How do you even know that's your child?"

Hikari wanted to kill him; she wanted to wring his neck and then leave him to the buzzards.

"Don't you dare question my family," Hikari said as she stood to her feet and began to walk towards them. "I can kill you."

Itachi held out his arm.

"Stay back, the three of us know the truth, it doesn't matter what Kabuto says," Itachi uttered as he looked over his shoulder at her. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you, control your temper."

Hikari swallowed and looked down at her feet. Despite wanting to continue, she did as he asked and stepped back; she would only be in their way.

Kabuto smirked and pushed up his glasses again.

"Itachi went so far as to kill his own comrades all to protect Konoha. Don't you think what you're trying to do would be against his will? His legacy? I am the one who shares a goal like yours. I am also the one who will continue what Lord Orochimaru started! I will crush the Leaf!" Kabuto smiled evilly. "Think carefully…if you're going to stab Itachi in the back to achieve your goals, you might as well do it now and come to my side. Don't feel guilty about it, he'd dead after all; just a lifeless doll."

Hikari wanted to be infuriated with his statement, but something stood out to her; he was trying to get Sasuke away from Itachi. He was trying to minimise the threat.

_"He knows he can't win!"_ Hikari thought with a triumphant smile. _"He's trying to recruit Sasuke because he knows he can't win against the both of them!" _

She knew Sasuke would never consider it; she knew him better than Kabuto did. It made her feel superior to the reptile in every way. She liked it.

Sasuke closed his eyes.

"I'm not like you. I don't share my goals."

A small amount of relief flooded into Hikari, she didn't think he'd try to turn on Itachi, but she was glad to hear him say it. She breathed a little easier.

"I can understand why Itachi did what he did," Kabuto said as he pushed up his glasses. "I am the same as him. I was indeed adopted by a Konoha Shinobi, but since no one knew where I came from, they brought me up as a spy right away. I was taught medical Ninjutsu so that the enemy could easily trust me. In that way, Hikari and I aren't that different either. She was also trained as a spy, but did not nearly do the amount of missions I did…Orochimaru didn't trust her and for good reason."

Hikari swallowed as her eyes widened; she could never believe her and Kabuto were alike, but she had been taught to use her abilities so the enemy would trust her. She had been taught to change her emotions at the drop of a pin for people she didn't know. She had been taught to disappear.

"I traveled to many countries, but always as a spy. I was always pretending to be someone else, always lying. I didn't even understand who I really was anymore."

_"I…I felt like that too," she thought with a deep frown pulling at her lips. "When I was in Konoha my mind was always in utter chaos. Are we that different? Is Kabuto like me? A tool to be used and then disposed of when it was necessary?" _

"I had no comrades who knew my true identity, I just kept on washing it away…and when I lost track of myself, the village didn't want to trust me anymore. They just stopped putting me on missions. Itachi and I spend all of our lives working for the Leaf, and yet all we got in exchange was shame and dishonour! What did the village do for us?" Kabuto pushed up his glasses and looked Sasuke directly in the eyes. "Your current resolve was molded by Itachi's action and existence. I didn't die, so I was also molded like you. No one can understand you as perfectly as I can. I will be your older brother and will stay by your side! Come with me!"

Hikari opened her mouth to yell, but was utterly shocked that Itachi beat her to it.

"Don't listen to him Sasuke. He was a better spy than me…than Hikari. In other words he can lie better than both of us put together. Also, the village does have its dark side and inconsistencies…but I am still the Leaf's Itachi Uchiha."

A smile broke out onto Hikari's face; Itachi was talking to Sasuke, he was giving him that push he needed. He was helping her; he was trying to get the old Sasuke back.

"Sasuke…it's my fault that you have become what you are now. I am not really in a position to criticise your decision, but now that things have turned this way, there is at least one last thing I want to say to you."

Tears welled in Hikari's eyes; this is what she had hoped for. This was the Itachi she had hoped would help her. This is the man she had loved, and still loved.

"Please, Sasuke," she pleaded under her breath. "Please see reason in him."


	86. The Eighty Sixth Passage

_**The Eighty-Sixth Passage:**_

"I will say what I have to say to you Sasuke, I promise, but let's defeat him first," Itachi said as he looked back at his brother. "I don't want to give him the opportunity to hurt you or Hikari while I speak."

"I am the performer of the Edo Tensei; you cannot kill me," Kabuto said as he closed his eyes and crouched into a fighting position. "You can try to wound me, and even if you do succeed, my recovery speed will render your effort useless."

Hikari looked towards Kabuto with a glare; for once, she wished she wasn't pregnant. If she wasn't pregnant she could fight and not feel so useless on the sidelines. She hated being told to stay back and that she needed protection; but she could not deny the truth of those words, she was a sitting duck in her condition. More than anything she wanted to punch Kabuto right in the mouth and knock out a few teeth, she was just so tired of hearing him speak.

"Don't be so cocky, Kabuto," Hikari said firmly. "The Uchiha brothers are more powerful than you…they will destroy you."

"I think not…" Kabuto said with a smile. "I closed my eyes to render their genjutsu useless. There is no way they can win, my Edo Tensei is invincible!"

"His speech is really irritating, but his explanation has a point," Itachi said to his brother.

"I can see that for myself," Sasuke responded as he looked towards Itachi. "What are we going to do about it?"

"He doesn't know the real strength of an Uchiha," Itachi said quietly. "Uchiha's eyes have a power able to affect the enemy regardless of their five senses, in exchange for their own sight."

"…Izanagi?" Sasuke asked as he closed his eyes.

"You know of Izanagi?" Itachi asked with mild surprise laced in his tone.

"Danzo used it when I was fighting him," Sasuke responded.

"It's impressive that you survived that," Itachi said as he looked back at him.

"Sasuke's pretty stubborn," Hikari spoke up as she crossed her arms. "I'm not sure he'd die that easily. However, I thought Izanagi was something only Danzo could achieve because of the amount of Sharingan he had…if that's not it, then how?"

Sasuke looked back at Hikari and then nodded.

"How is Izanagi used?" he asked.

"What I am talking about is not Izanagi. It's another one, that forms a pair with it," Itachi said with a sigh.

"Another one?" Sasuke asked.

"Izanami?" Hikari asked as she tilted her head to the side.

Itachi looked back at her, surprise reflecting in his eyes.

"You know of it, Hikari?"

"No, not the jutsu, but I know of Shintoism," Hikari said with a small laugh. "The Uchiha have a thing with naming their techniques after Kami; Susano'o, Amaterasu, Izanagi, Izanami, and Tsukuyomi just to name a few."

Itachi smiled at her.

"You have always been bright, Hikari," he said quietly. "Don't lose that, it suits you well."

"Believe me, I wouldn't dumb myself down for anything or anyone," she said as she returned his smile. "Now, how long will it take for you to do this jutsu?"

"Izanami is the ultimate eye jutsu that holds his destiny…it's already prepared."

Hikari smiled again.

"I should have known," she said as she crossed her arm. "Itachi Uchiha does not go into any battle unprepared."

Sasuke looked between them and frowned slightly; it just really hit him that Hikari knew his own brother better than he did. There was also a certain amount of comfort she showed around Itachi, she wasn't afraid of him at all; Sasuke wondered how long this had been the case, because Hikari seemed to be more comfortable with his brother than him. He wanted to change that.

Itachi ran forwards and attacked Kabuto with Sasuke's sword in hand. Kabuto managed to fend him off and push him back towards Sasuke.

"If Izanagi is a jutsu that can change destiny, Izanami can decide it," Itachi said as he straightened up. "Sasuke, stay behind me for now."

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but nothing's going to work on me!" Kabuto said with a wicked laugh as he began to perform handsigns. "I think you still don't comprehend just who I am!"

Hikari frowned and took a step back, worrying about the sheer amount of chakra she was feeling; it made her nervous. The last thing she wanted to do was to get caught up in someone's jutsu again. Suddenly, before she could move much more, Itachi's Susano'o was surrounding her and Sasuke. She realised it was because the stalactites and stalagmites of the cave were jutting out and trying to pierce them; Itachi must have cast it last minute. Her eyes rushed to Itachi to make sure he was alright, and her stomach turned over in the most unsettling way.

"Itachi!" Sasuke said.

Hikari covered her mouth and tried not to look at the giant pointed pieces of stone piercing Itachi's body in multiple areas.

"Edo Tensei works by giving life and controlling something that is not alive; it's different than just controlling someone with chakra," Kabuto said as he crouched onto the ground. "He protected you with Susano'o, but that made him slower," Kabuto said with a grin. "I'm not going to hurt him, though; he will just become my guinea pig." Kabuto grabbed the kunai that dropped out of his snake's mouth. "Now I'll just overwrite his mind…you know what happens next, don't you?"

Before Hikari could react, Sasuke had unleashed Amaterasu into the cave and surrounded them with black fire, keeping Kabuto out of the circle.

"An example of how the best attack can also become the best defense, I guess…" Kabuto said with a laugh as he gazed at the dancing black flames. "The heat also made the cave go back to its original shape. I'm sorry for you, but I win this fight," Kabuto said with a grin as he closed his eyes. "I am becoming someone that can create and control. I really cannot image losing myself. All the rules and principles of the natural world that Orochimaru studied thoroughly for many years, they're all store inside of me. From human, to snake, to dragon; I am currently closer to the Hermit of the Six Paths than any other person in this world. Compared to me, the Uchiha are nothing!"

"Shut up!" Sasuke yelled as he began to charge. "You know nothing about the Uchiha!"

Sasuke was stopped when a hand stopped him from moving. Itachi glared towards Kabuto.

"Itachi," Hikari said as she sighed with relief. "What did I tell you about scaring me?" Hikari shook her head and walked towards Sasuke, grabbing his hand in her own. He looked down at her and she tried to smile reassuringly at him. "This is Itachi's fight. Let him fight and then he can talk to you."

Sasuke squeezed her hand.

"Kabuto, you remind me of my past self," Itachi said in the dangerously quiet voice that Hikari recognised. She knew he was getting serious. "That's why you will lose this battle."

"You know, I am not watching from a corner anymore. I am one of the main actors now in this war! I'm leading Akatsuki by the nose and taking this war to our advantage, and I am even fighting against the Uchiha brothers," Kabuto said with a smile.

"You're very different from me, but at the same time, I can sympathize with you," Itachi said with a sigh. "In the end, you were a spy as well and you lived in the same world of lies I used to live in. I also couldn't understand who I was, but now I feel that maybe knowing who I actually am is the key to reach perfection because that means I know my limitations; what I can do and what I can't."

Kabuto laughed and tilted his head to the side.

"That's what a loser would say. Isn't acknowledging what you can't do the same as giving up?"

"No," Itachi answered, "it means that you are able to forgive yourself for what you are not able to do. Your comrades are there to make up for what you cannot do and prevent you from ignoring things that you actually might have been able to do."

"Wow, you have changed a lot," Hikari said as she looked towards Itachi. "I never thought I'd see the day that you speak like that."

"Death opens your eyes to many truths," Itachi said without looking towards her. "If you want to know who you really are, you have to look at your real self and acknowledge what you see."

"We don't know what kind of people we truly are until the moment before our deaths. As death comes to embrace you, you will realize what you are," Hikari uttered quietly. "I remember you saying that once, Itachi. It makes sense now."

Itachi nodded.

"I wasn't able to do it; I lied to others and deceived even myself with my own lies. The ones who aren't able to acknowledge their own selves are bound to fail, like I did in the past," Itachi said as he looked towards Kabuto.

"You are the ones who know absolutely nothing about me; I spent my whole life trying to find my real self, my whole life…" Kabuto said bitterly. "That's why I have been adding more and more to myself. It's not your preaching that I want, Itachi, it's your power and information."

Hikari glared.

"Well, get over yourself, you can't have him!" she spat.

"You are a shinobi from the Leaf, from the famous Uchiha clan, you awakened Mangekyou Sharingan. You have many secrets, you stopped the war, and you have many techniques and a lot of power. Itachi, you had many things that were made for you, no one is more suitable than you for my Edo Tensei for this reason. My chess piece is my own power."

"You're overestimating me…in fact, I failed," Itachi said with a frown.

"There is no need to talk like that in front of me," Kabuto replied. "I envy the fact that you belong to the Uchiha clan."

"Uchiha is just a name, it only refers to the roots of our clan," Itachi said with a sigh. "It doesn't mean anything by itself."

"It does mean something," Kabuto hissed as he began to do handsigns.

"Get back, Hikari," Sasuke said as he pulled out of her grasp and knelt down and picked up his sword, tucking it back under the rope tied around his waist. "Do we really have to leave him alive? We're going to fall behind!"

Hikari nodded and backed up as far as she could without touching the flames.

"We must not kill him," Itachi said forcefully. "He's the one controlling this war, now. Just bear with me."

"Can't you use Izanami yet?" Sasuke demanded. "He's about to do something!"

"I'm preparing something too, but it will take some time."

Hikari wished she could see what was going on and what Kabuto was doing; feeling so in the dark made her nervous. She didn't know where he'd come from or what he'd do.

"If you want to know who you are, just gather all the information in this world!" Kabuto yelled.

Suddenly, the black flames were cleared and Hikari could see that Kabuto was ten feet away from them, holding some shinobi he had resurrected.

"Kidoumaru…" Sasuke said with recognition. Suddenly, a giant spider web that the shinobi had spit was in their way. "Swords cannot cut these threads!"

Together, the brothers used Amaterasu on the web. It was a frightening sight for Hikari, both of them using it at once was a fearful thought for any enemy. Hikari felt a rumbling from beneath her feet and looked up to see that Orochimaru was holding a shinobi she recognised; Kimimarou. Her eyes widened fearfully as she jumped into the air as fast as she could to dodge the bone spikes that began to jut from the ground. One caught her leg and opened a long gash from her thigh to her calf. She screamed out in pain as blood began to ooze from the wound.

Sasuke looked back at her and quietly ran to her side, dragging her away from the spikes.

"Can you heal yourself?" he asked as he looked towards the alarming amount of blood pooling from her.

"He cut the artery in my leg," Hikari said as she scrunched her face up pain, "but I can heal it. Please, help me sit up."

Sasuke did as he was told and then guided Hikari's hand to her leg. She had to bite back tears as she used her chakra to heal herself; the wound was incredibly painful. She sighed with relief when the cut was closed and her blood levels restored.

Sasuke picked her up when she was done and then brought her towards Itachi.

"He covered the backside in spider webs! I will take care of it; you take care of the front. Can you still do Susano'o?"

"Yes," Itachi said.

Simultaneously they activated Susano'o.

"Can you stand, Hikari?" Sasuke asked. She nodded and Sasuke gently set her down. "Stay behind me."

In seconds, the brothers were destroying Kabuto's creations and retreating to the back of the cave with Hikari following closely behind.

"Are you okay, Sasuke?" Itachi asked when they stopped running.

All three of them gasped when they suddenly felt as if they could not move; snakes curled their way around their torsos.

"Genjutsu?" Sasuke asked with widened eyes.

"It seems that even Susano'o cannot stop sounds, it's as I thought," Itachi said as he looked towards Sasuke.

"Are you okay, Hikari?" Sasuke asked as he looked towards her.

"Yeah, I am fine for now but this genjutsu is making me feel really nervous," Hikari said as she bit her lip. "I don't like feeling restrained like this."

"With this, you're unable to move," Kabuto hissed. "Now I will capture you with Orochimaru!" Snakes burst from his torso, and then Orochimaru took form. However, his image quickly began to distort and he turned into a giant white serpent. It made Hikari feel sick to see her father after so long; even if it was a cheap imitation of him. "Do you remember this, Sasuke?"

Hikari closed her eyes and looked away.

"Kabuto, you're not Orochimaru. It's fine to imitate someone that you respect, but do not act like you are him," Itachi said as he watched Kabuto with narrowed eyes. "There is no one who can become him."

"When most people try something new, they start by imitating others," Kabuto said with a frown, "like Sasuke imitated you."

"That's something you do in order to grow…it's not to be used as a costume in order to pretend to be someone you are not," Itachi said as he activated his Mangekyou. "Even if you try to link yourself to someone you deem worthy of praise, you won't find the reason for your existence there. I will say it one last time; do not try to deceive yourself with lies. The ones who do not acknowledge themselves will eventually fail."

"You're saying I am bound to fail?" Kabuto asked with a snarl. "How could I!?" With all of his rage, he sent the white serpent speeding towards them with intent to kill.

"Sasuke look at my eyes!"

Sasuke nodded, knowing his brother's plan. Both of them used their Sharingan to break the genjutsu they had been placed in. Shortly after, Sasuke turned to Hikari and broke hers too.

"Thanks," she muttered as she inhaled deeply. "I was a little worried there for a moment."

In the next moment, they both stopped the white snaked with their Susano'o.

"I will start Izanami now," Itachi said as he turned to face Kabuto.

"You have already failed!" he proclaimed.

Itachi did a handsign with only one hand, and then set his jutsu in motion.

"Is it over?" Sasuke asked.

Before Hikari could breathe, Kabuto had rushed forwards and sliced Itachi clean in half. She couldn't breathe after that. She didn't know what to believe; was it a Genjutsu? Did it really happen? Was Itachi dead again?

She knew one thing; no one survived being cut in half, no one.


	87. The Eighty Seventh Passage

**Author's Notes:**

I am sorry guys, but I have a lot of papers comming up in the next month, so I might not post for awhile. However, I have a nice long chapter for you. Anyways, I also do apologize in advanced about the confusion of Izanami and who can see whats going on, because I was terribly confused about it. Sorry.

_**The Eighty-Seventh Passage:**_

Everything was happening so fast around Hikari that she could not keep up with it no matter how hard she tried; all she was aware of was the fact that Sasuke's arms were wrapped around her protectively as both of them were blasted with a jutsu from Kabuto.

"W-Where's Itachi!?" Hikari demanded as she looked around. However, before she could panic more, she and Sasuke were sent hurtling to the ground; his grip on her tightened as they went skidding back.

Hikari and Sasuke both looked up in desperation to see if Itachi was okay; Hikari was utterly confused to see him completely whole again and being stabbed by Kabuto with Sasuke's sword, who hung upside down from the ceiling of the cave.

"What is going on?" Hikari breathed as she watched his body irrupted into a flock of crows. "Genjutsu?"

Itachi rematerialized and took a swipe at Kabuto with Sasuke's sword. Hikari realised that she had seen this before; Itachi had done this very same thing before when they first began to fight Kabuto.

"The same thing…it's not going to work!" Kabuto yelled as he pushed himself off the ceiling and landed on the ground. "I already told you that as long as I have this body's recovery rate, wounds are nothing to me. Your genjutsu also does not work on me. Face it, Itachi, you have lost."

"Your destiny is already in my hands…the other Uchiha Kinjutsu that can do this is Izanami!"

Sasuke put Hikari to the side.

"Wait here, don't get close," Sasuke said to her firmly. "I don't think it's safe."

Hikari nodded meekly.

Kabuto and Itachi clashed and rebounded by the force of their own attacks again. Sasuke shot forwards and ran to his brother.

"Sasuke, stay close to me," Itachi said as he held up his brother's blade.

"It really is like deja-vu; however, I am fed up with your tricks. Let's put an end to this fight," Kabuto said as he unleashed the giant white serpent again.

"I hold your destiny in my hands, but you're the one who decides how it will be. Remember what I have said and think," Itachi said to Kabuto seriously.

"I really don't understand what you're saying; enough with the jokes. I'm the strongest and the one that will obtain everything! That's already clear to me!" Kabuto said as he launched the serpent towards the brothers at speeds so fast it was hard to follow the movement. However, it didn't hinder Itachi; he caught the snake with the arm of his Susano'o.

"A strong person is someone that can forgive and accept their own self!" Itachi said firmly.

"Loser!" Kabuto yelled as he suddenly began to slide out of the serpent's mouth; however, he was caught by Sasuke's Susano'o.

The would not stop Kabuto, however, he used the same technique and slid out of his own body, rushing forwards and ripping off Itachi's arm with his teeth. He then took hold of Sasuke's sword and stabbed Itachi through the back with it. As Kabuto had described it, like deja-vu, Itachi burst into a flock of crows.

"What the fuck is going on?" Hikari asked aloud. "I am so confused! I can't make out anything that is going on here!"

Itachi took a swipe at Kabuto and took a chunk of his horn; however, Kabuto was not going to let Itachi get the best of him, jumped back and gave himself distance.

A giant fireball hurtled towards Kabuto and Itachi followed closely behind it.

"What did you do to me?" Kabuto demanded as he jumped out of the way.

"You're caught in my eye technique," Itachi said as he charged forwards.

"That's impossible!" Kabuto yelled as he prepared to attack.

Again, they clashed and rebounded.

"That's not important anyway…he can't defeat me. There's nothing I can't do!"

Kabuto charged and ran Itachi through with the sword, again. However, like all the times before, Itachi only disappeared into a flock of crows.

"I've never seen anything like this," Hikari said quietly as she watched the phenomenon. "In all my time with Itachi, I've never seen him fuck with an opponent this way."

"I told you, I hold your destiny in my hands," Itachi said as he landed on the ground.

"ITACHI UCHIHA!" Kabuto yelled, letting his shear frustration leak out in his scream.

"He cannot escape this loop…"

Hikari stood up and slowly approached the Uchiha brothers; when she got close enough to the scene, she saw that Kabuto was incapacitated and standing limply.

"This is the jutsu that can decide destiny…this is Izanami. If you drag him in a loop like this, it's easier to use the actual genjutsu affecting his vision."

"So Kabuto got stuck in a loop? When did you use Izanami?" Sasuke asked as he approached his brother.

"The first time Kabuto stabbed me with your sword."

"But how? How can an eye technique work without using the eyes?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, I am beyond confused," Hikari confessed as she stepped next to Sasuke. "Some explanation would be much appreciated."

"Izanami works by using not only your opponent's senses, but your own as well," Itachi said as he turned towards them.

"The senses?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow; Hikari could tell that he was just as confused as she was.

"The instant you voluntarily decide to act, you memorise the bodily sensation of that instant like a photograph using your eyes; a mental picture if you will," Itachi explained, "let's call that 'A'. Then you replicate the same bodily sensation intentionally and memorize that as well, creating 'A-2'. Izanami overlaps 'A' and 'A-2', connecting them. By doing this, it also connects the time that had passed between them. In other words, it creates an infinite loop." Itachi paused. "Of course, this is all in exchange for your eyes, like with Izanagi." "So, Kabuto's mind is trapped inside of an endless loop, fighting against an illusionary you and me?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow.

"No…there is actually a way to escape the loop; because Izanami was originally creates as a method to punish and save users of Izanagi."

"What do you mean?"

"You seem to know some things about Izanagi…it was rumored to be the most perfect Uchiha eye technique; able to completely change destiny. If what you do is not successful, you can just delete it and go back. Basically it's a way to only keep the results that are useful to you," Itachi explained. "During a fight where Uchiha could not fail, Izanagi was extremely helpful. However, the risk that its use implied was much worse than just losing one's eyesight. Its users became arrogant and used it too much for themselves. If only one person is able to use it, it's not a problem. But more than one person was, thus they ended up fighting over which results to use. Izanami was creates to stop that because you cannot cast genjutsu on someone that uses the same eyes."

"Okay, wait a second," Hikari demanded. "A long time ago, I was told that only a small amount of Uchiha even awaken Sharingan, and then I was told only a very few awaken Mangekyou. Seriously, why are you speaking as if five to ten people could use such a powerful Doujutsu that comes from Mangekyou when barely anyone achieved it? It's written in history that only three people have awakened Mangekyou; you, Madara, and his brother Izuna. However, now both Sasuke and Kakashi Hatake can use it. Seriously, am I missing something, or has someone just been feeding me lies?"

Sasuke shrugged.

"It seems a lot of things we were told were wrong," Sasuke said as he looked towards her. "Aren't only a few members of your clan supposed to be able to use the advanced Kekki Genkai? I can name about five off of the top of my head."

"Well, that's different," Hikari said with a huff as she crossed her arms. "That's something that can be learned."

"The same is true for Mangekyou."

"No, you have to kill someone to get that," Hikari said as she turned to him with her arms crossed.

"Kakashi never killed anyone," Sasuke responded.

"Well, he's an exception to the rule," Hikari said with a frown. "I think…" Itachi sighed. "Wait, how do you know that he didn't kill anyone, huh? What were you when he got his eye? I'm pretty sure you were not born yet or you were a baby at most."

Itachi looked between them and then held his head.

"Shall I continue explaining?"

"Oh, yes please," Hikari said with a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry, I just felt like I should point that out."

"As I was saying, Izanami was created to stop Izanagi; it forced whoever tried to change the results into an endless loop until the person could come to the right conclusion. When you acknowledge the results and stop trying to run away, the jutsu will dissolve. The technique was created it teach people not to reply on jutsu, but to accept their own destiny. A technique like this that relies on the eyes can be dangerous and is difficult to use in a fight, that's why Izanami became a Kinjutsu."

"So, when will the jutsu stop with Kabuto?" Hikari asked as she looked towards the very creepy man who looked as if he was trying to become a mirror image of her father.

"When he stops trying to become someone other than himself," Itachi answered.

"Why did you use the jutsu on him? If he can escape, then-" Itachi cut his brother off.

"Kabuto is a lot like how I was in the past. He blindly believes that he has obtained everything and nothing is impossible for him. That's why he is afraid of failing and tries to convince himself that he could not possible fail."

"Why didn't you use Izanami on Sasuke to trick him out of revenge?" Hikari muttered as she crossed her arms; the comment earned her a small glare from Sasuke. "Uh…kidding," she said with a nervous smile.

"I tried to deceive myself…I stopped trusting in other people's strength but my own," Itachi said as he looked towards Hikari. "There were a lot of times where I would not rely on you or Kisame."

"That is true," Hikari said with a sigh. "You were always a 'do it yourself' kind of guy."

"In Kabuto's case he tried to deceive himself into believing that other people's power that he had gained was his own power. I understand him; we were both played by the Shinobi world. He cannot forgive and acknowledge himself. What he is doing is wrong, but it's also wrong to just solely blame him. I want him to realise this before he dies, unlike me."

"Why are you doing all of this for someone like him?" Sasuke demanded with a yell. "You're not like him! You were perfect!"

"Sasuke…I am far from perfect. I have done terrible things in my past. I killed someone who trusted no other person but me; I took advantage of her and then I killed her. I killed our family and I used Hikari to get to you. I even went as far as to use a technique called Kotoamatsukami to try and control you," Itachi looked down and away from Sasuke's gaze. "I treated you like a child and I only saw you as someone to protect. I didn't trust in your strength."

"Itachi," Hikari said quietly as she stepped forwards. "I am sorry about what I said to you after you saved me from Daisuke. Not everything that has happened is your fault and I don't blame you for what you did to me." Hikari touched his shoulder and tried to give him a comforting smile despite feeling tears well in her eyes. "You're not a terrible person Itachi."

Itachi sighed.

"You have always had a forgiving nature Hikari, even when it is not deserved," Itachi said as he looked down at her.

Hikari shook her head as she rushed forwards and threw her arms around him.

"You deserve to be forgiven Itachi," she said as tears began to leak out of her eyes. She bit her lip and then squeezed him a little tighter. "You really helped me when you were alive. You helped me learn how to rise past what everyone said I was and become my own person. You also helped me learn skills that I was poorly lacking; Itachi you were one of the best things that ever happened to me. Don't lie to yourself and say any differently." Hikari pulled away from him and gave him a shaken smile. "There were so many things I wanted to say to you that day you left to die, I wanted to beg you not to go, but now I understand you had to. You were the first person to ever say goodbye; you have no idea who much that meant so much to me."

Itachi nodded.

Hikari stepped back and looked towards Sasuke; Itachi looked towards him too.

"I want you to find that I didn't have," Itachi said as he looked towards Sasuke. "Don't say that I am perfect. Now, I will stop the Edo Tensei."

"Wait," Hikari said with a frown. "If you stop it, you will disappear too, won't you?"

Itachi nodded.

"I'm going to miss you," she uttered as she looked at her feet.

"I know," he said as he reached forwards and took off Kabuto's glasses. "However, with this we can put the dead to rest. The war's end is finally at hand…"

"Brother…" Sasuke said with a frown.

"Once I was able to protect the village as Konoha's Itachi Uchiha," he said as he looked back at his brother. "I have no regrets doing it again."

"Why? After what they did to you, why still go so far for them!?" Sasuke demanded with rage reflecting in his eyes. "I can forgive you, but I can never forgive them!" Sasuke paused and closed his eyes. "To say you have no regrets…I turned out this ways because of you!"

"I am not the one who can change you," Itachi said with a frown. "So, at the very least I can undo this jutsu. That way I won't make light of what's been entrusted to Naruto, Hikari, and your son."

Itachi turned back to Kabuto and opened his eyes.

Hikari grabbed Sasuke's hand in her own and squeezed.

"He's not like you, Sasuke," she uttered. "He couldn't do what you want to do…it's not in his nature. He loved Konoha."

Sasuke closed his eyes as his brother learned the handsigns.

"I guess anything I say now would be pointless…"

"It's not," Hikari whispered and she touched his cheek. "Tell him what you've needed to say while you can."

Sasuke looked down at her and then nodded.

"When I saw you, I decided to follow you here to confirm whether or not what Danzo and Tobi told me was true. But that wasn't the only reason…" Sasuke sighed and then looked towards his brother's back. "When I am with you, I remember the way it used to be. I remember the time I spent with my older brother that I looked up to…that I loved. That's why the closer I get to you, the more I am able to recall what those days felt like; I am able to understand you more as a result." Sasuke's face became stern. "The more I am able to understand you, the more I hate Konoha for making you suffer the way you did. In fact, it's even stronger than it was before. I understand what you want me to do; it's probably because you're my older brother that you feel the need to put me on the right path. However, it's probably because I am your younger brother that I will never stop, no matter what you say. As you have always existed to protect the village, I will exist to destroy it."

Hikari sighed and looked at the ground.

_"What an incredibly cruel thing to say to Itachi,"_ she thought as she looked towards him with saddened eyes. _"I can't imagine what he's feeling as he watches everything he hoped for crumble down around him." _

"Goodbye," Sasuke said.

Light began to envelope Itachi and Hikari knew the jutsu had been released.

Itachi turned around and began to slowly walk towards Sasuke with his arm outstretched.

"I feel like I am slowly losing consciousness…." he uttered. "Before saying goodbye, I will tell you what I wanted you to know; there is no need to lie anymore. What I did the night before leaving you is exactly as Danzo and Tobi told you. I will show you the truth."

Hikari looked towards Sasuke and realised that Itachi had shared a memory with him. However, before she could get comfortable waiting, she found herself being pulled into a genjutsu.

"Hikari…" Itachi said as he walked towards her.

She looked around and saw she was not in any particular place that she recognised, she was just somewhere out in the world with Itachi; like the way it used to be. She felt a sense of calmness wash over her, but more prominently, she felt safe with him around. However, she knew this was nothing calming or peaceful about the situation he had cast her into; this was him saying goodbye to her, again.

"I never got to say it to you before," Itachi said as he touched her face. "I couldn't say it, I was afraid I would have to do to you what I did to Shiori."

"You loved her," Hikari said as she looked up into his crimson eyes. "You always have."

"But I loved you too," he said as he leaned closer to her and then captured her lips in a unexpected kiss. However, the kiss was not uninvited; her heart melted for him and as she realised this would be the last time she would ever kiss Itachi Uchiha, tears began to run down her face.

After what felt like years and moments all at the same time, Itachi pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I can't imagine a world where I never see you again," she whispered, but her voice cracked and she began to sob.

"You have to be strong," he whispered. "You have always been so strong."

She couldn't take it; she began to hysterically cry as he wrapped her into his arms.

"Oh god, Itachi, I don't want you to go," she uttered through her sobs. "I want you to stay with me. I need your help; I can't do this on my own. Please. I don't want to feel so utterly alone and defeated anymore. I need you, Itachi."Itachi cupped her face with both of his hands and looked deeply into her watery eyes.

"I know you're scared, but sometimes we have to do these things on our own," Itachi whispered, "but you're not alone. You have him." Itachi's hand left her face and then pressed against her abdomen. "Don't let him grow up like Sasuke, don't let him feel sick hatred with every waking moment."

"I promise I won't," Hikari said as she let more tears fall. "I love you, Itachi."

"As do I, always," he whispered as he leaned in for one last kiss. "Goodbye, Hikari."

When the genjutsu broke, she realised that she was standing in the same place she had been, by Sasuke's side. Itachi wasn't standing in front of her, holding her, anymore; he was still standing across from them. She looked at him as real tears began to fall from her eyes. She felt Sasuke's grip on her hand tighten and she looked up to see his face was extremely pained.

"I always lied to you, telling you to forgive me," Itachi said as he walked towards Sasuke. "I always kept you far away with my own hands. I didn't want to involve you. But now I think that maybe you would have been able to change our father and mother…the Uchiha. If I had faced you from the start…tried to see things from your point of view and talked with you about the truth…but I failed and no matter what I say now, it won't reach you. That's why I am going to say what I really think." Itachi wrapped his arm around Sasuke and touched his forehead to his. "You don't have to forgive me, but no matter what you decide from now on, I will love you forever."

**Chapter End Notes:**

So, what did you think of Itachi and Hikari's goodbye? Feedback, please?


	88. The Eighty-Eighth Passage

**_The Eighty-Eighth Passage:_**

Hikari watched as Sasuke looked towards the ceiling of the cave, an expression of deep though written on his face. She knew deep down that she was unable to understand the full capacity what he was feeling; she could only image the grief that dug its way into his heart. Suddenly, the same kind of choking pain she had imagined that Sasuke was feeling crashed into her, flooding her heart and making her eyes sting with the threat of tears. Itachi was gone and this time, he would never return.

She was alone and, again, she found herself in a position where she was on her own side; she did not root for the Akatsuki and not for Konoha. She was the only person of a team of her own, one that only cared about the safety and future of her son and Sasuke.

Hikari let out shaky breaths, trying with every ounce of strength she had not to cry. She refused to cry about Itachi in front of Sasuke, she wasn't confident enough to know that he wouldn't take it negatively. She also reminded herself that Sasuke was in his own pain and she was not going to make this about herself when he probably needed help. Slowly, she turned towards him and lifted a hesitant and shaking hand to his forearm, touching him gently.

"Sasuke?" she asked quietly as she slid that hand up his arm and to his shoulder. When he didn't answer, she stepped in front of him and lifted her hand as if to touch his face but then decided against it. However, before she could drop it back to her side, Sasuke grabbed a hold of it and brought it to his mouth, lighting kissing her fingers. He looked down into her eyes and then brought his hand to her face, caressing the soft skin. Words could not express her sock at his sudden affection and she wondered what had gotten into his head. "…are you okay?"

He simply nodded and then tugged her closer to him, pulling her into his embrace and holding her tightly.

"I let you walk away and into danger…someplace that I could not protect you," he said quietly. "And you almost died."

"How did you…?" she asked as she looked up at him. "I don't understand."

"I happened to cross paths with Midoriko on my way here," he explained.

Hikari's eyes widened and she felt the need to know what condition her friend was in.

"Is she alright? Where was she heading?" she asked urgently.

"Midoriko said something about going to the battle field," Sasuke explained with a sigh. "I haven't seen her since."

"So she told you about what happened with my uncle?" Hikari asked with a frown as she laid her head on his shoulder.

Sasuke nodded and Hikari pulled herself out of his embrace.

"Are you okay with just leaving Kabuto like this?" Hikari asked as she looked towards his paralysed body with a frown. "And if you are, what do we do next?"

Before Sasuke could answer the ceiling of the cave suddenly began to crack and he yanked her into his arms and jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed by rocks and stalactites.

Hikari held her heart and hyperventilated as he set her down, not enjoying that her wits were nearly scared out of her and she almost died. She felt herself become angry when she saw Suigetsu and Jugo drop into the cavern.

"You idiots!" she yelled loudly as she stomped towards him and pointed a finger in his face. "You two almost killed me!"

Suigetsu looked at her and smiled and she could tell by the expression on his face that he was not sorry.

"We finally found you guys," he said with a laugh.

"Yeah, and almost killed me!" Hikari yelled as she balled her hand into a fist and got ready to knock his lights out, however, Sasuke suddenly held onto her arm.

"You're not dead…" he said as he looked down at her.

"Let me strangle him, just for a little while," she asked in a whisper.

"Whoa," Suigetsu said as his eyes bugged out. He pointed to her stomach. "When did that happen?"

"Oh, I think yesterday," Hikari snarled as she planted her hands on her hips. "When do you think it happened, moron!?"

"You mean you've been like that the whole time?" he asked as he looked towards Jugo. "Did you know about this?"

He shook his head and Hikari felt herself smile.

"Just shut up," she said as she shook her head.

Suigetsu walked further into the cavern and Sasuke grabbed Hikari by the hand and led her to the rocks he'd made fall from the ceiling and sat down. She sat next to him, wondering how exactly Suigetsu found them without the help of Karin.

"Is this Kabuto?" Suigetsu asked as he walked towards him. "He looks kind of gross." Suigetsu got closer and began to inspect him. "This this coming out of his belling looks just like a huge-"

"You can leave it at that," Sasuke said curtly.

Hikari found it hard to accept that Suigetsu had almost just said that.

"She's alive," Jugo said as he bent over Anko Mitarashi. "Did Kabuto do something to her?"

"I would assume so," Hikari answered with a shrug. "He had been in here while when we got here."

"What business do you guys have with me now?" Sasuke demanded. "Why did you two come looking for me?"

"Yeah, well you know…we found something cool at the layer and we felt we had to show you," Suigetsu said as he reached into his cloak.

"You said that you and Itachi stopped the Edo Tensei," Jugo said as he looked around the cave and lifted Anko over his shoulder. "But it seems that the Edo Tensei of Madara is still around."

Hikari tilted her head to the side.

"Madara is not one the resurrected ones," she said as she looked down at her palm. She looked up at Sasuke with raised brow and saw that his eyes were opened wide.

"Yes he is," Jugo said as he looked towards Hikari.

"Then…" she trailed off and felt her head cloud with so much confusion that it began to hurt.

"There's something else, Hikari," Jugo said as he walked towards her, "but I will let your comrades tell you when they arrive."

"Uh," she said with a frown, "okay then?"

"Hey! Don't get in the way when I'm trying to talk with Sasuke!" Suigetsu said as he pulled a scroll from his cloak and thrust it towards Sasuke. "But anyways! Look at this!"

Everyone was quiet while Sasuke read the scroll. Hikari peaked over his shoulder, but the things that were scrawled on it didn't make sense to her, but they seemed to make sense to him. Once again, his eyes were opened wide.

"Isn't it cool?" Suigetsu demanded. "With this, we hawks can rule the Shinobi world!"

"This is it," Sasuke said quietly.

"Oh, please don't tell me you're now thinking about world domination?" Hikari asked with a groan. "I can only take so much of your aptitude for evil."

Sasuke ignored her and continued to mumble to himself.

"The one who knows everything…" Sasuke stood and then held out the scroll. "There's someone I need to meet, we're going Hikari."

Hikari stood too when he said that because she knew it was not a request.

"Eh?" Suigetsu asked with a raised brow. "Who?"

"Orochimaru," Sasuke said as he looked down at them.

"Whaaa?" Suigetsu asked as he scrunched his brow together. "You killed Orochimaru yourself, remember?"

"Yeah, Sasuke," Hikari said as she looked up at him. "I'd really prefer you don't drag my father out of hell somehow."

"I brought this too you because-"

Sasuke cut Suigetsu off.

"He's a tough one and he's not going to vanish so easily," Jugo said as he looked towards Sasuke.

"For whatever reason this is, bringing my father into it is not a good idea, Sasuke!" Hikari said loudly. "I can't handle him being around me. Sasuke, he had be beaten before, I can't have that around…I'm pregnant with you kid, please remember that!"

"The kid is Sasuke's?" Suigetsu asked as he looked towards Sasuke, his expression shocked. "I didn't know you had it in you."

Sasuke shot Suigetsu a particularly nasty glare.

"Hikari, I won't let Orochimaru lay a finger on you, but this is important," he said as he looked towards her and then the other two. "I'm willing to meet that bastard because there is something that I absolutely need him to do."

"Sasuke," Hikari said urgently as she stepped in front of him. "Think about this, I'm sure there is someone else out there that can help you. Just please don't bring Orochimaru into this!"

"I have to do this…Orochimaru knows where he is," Sasuke said as he looked her in the eye. "The clan…the village…I need to know the truth."

"Haven't you sought enough of the truth?" she pleaded as she grabbed onto his arms. "Sasuke, the truth has only ever brought you discomfort and pain. Please, I'm begging you, don't do this. It will destroy me if he manages to slither his way back into my life. That horrid disgusting and vile creature raped my mother and then beat me when I wasn't strong enough to serve him properly! You don't understand what that kind of fear is like!"

Sasuke peered into her eyes skeptically, his expression very clearly telling her that she was in no place to lecture him about pain and atrocity and then tell him he couldn't possibly understand.

"I know, for once it's not you saying that we can't understand your pain, this time it's me," Hikari said as her eyes began to swim with tears. "You already betrayed me once to go to my father, don't do it again. Please, I'm begging you."

He looked deeply into her eyes and she knew that his mind could not be changed; she felt something inside snap, he had broken another piece of her. He had chosen power and revenge over her once again, but she couldn't say she didn't expect it to be the case.

"I have to bring him back," he said as he looked into her eyes, "and I will protect you from him. However, I need to talk to him because he has knowledge I must obtain. I'm going to meet the one who knows everything!"


	89. The Eighy-Ninth Passage

_**The Eighty-Ninth Passage:**_

"Sasuke don't be an idiot," Suigetsu demanded with a frown. "You can get to this person on your own. Who is the person 'who knows everything' anyways?"

"It doesn't have anything to do with you," Sasuke said curtly as he looked his former companion in the eye.

Jugo sighed and then shook his head.

"Sasuke, my father is not going to help you in the way you hope," Hikari said forcefully. "He's only going to use you. You're putting everybody in this cave in danger for something you can't even be sure of!"

"She's right, Sasuke," Suigetsu said as he turned towards him. "You can't make Orochimaru come back. I bet you only want to ask Orochimaru how to use the power in that scroll, but you will be able to use it on your own if you just take your own time doing it." Suigetsu began to follow Sasuke who was walking away. "I went through the trouble of finding that because I thought that-"Sasuke cut him off.

"There is something I need that only Orochimaru can do," Sasuke said sternly in a tone that let everyone know he was done listening.

"Seriously!" Hikari yelled as she stepped in front of him. "I bet you that I can help you if it is something my father did. You do not need Orochimaru!"

"Sasuke, if we be honest about it, it's fair to say that you were Orochimaru's favourite…in your case-"

"Suigetsu," Sasuke said as he stopped walking.

"What?"

"Suigetsu, you are underestimating Orochimaru," Sasuke said as he looked over his shoulder.

"You idiot!" Suigetsu said forcefully as he began to raise his voice. "I'm doing the exact opposite of that! After you defeated Orochimaru it accidentally became impossible to use his Shiki Seals on his arms."

"Sasuke, that means that Orochimaru will try to take over your body again," Hikari said sternly. "If Orochimaru can't move his arms, he will want a vessel right away."

"She's right Sasuke," Suigetsu said as he continued to follow the Uchiha. "If Orochimaru knew about this war he would only try even harder so that he could be a part of it. He wants to destroy Konoha too, remember?"

Hikari frowned and then held her head as Sasuke approached Jugo.

"I swear, if you bring him back from the dead, both I and your son will walk out of this cave and never return," Hikari said with a snarl. "I am not going to be pushed around by you anymore!"

"Hikari, you won't go anywhere without my permission," Sasuke said as he looked back at her.

"What? Do I look like a slave to you?" Hikari barked.

"It's an order," he said as he narrowed his eyes.

Hikari's hand began to burn and she felt like screaming, not out of pain, but out of frustration.

"I am going to fucking kill you!" she bellowed. "I am not some puppet to be controlled. You're all pissing me off to no end. First you, and then your brother, and now you again! I have had it up to here with you god-damned Uchiha!"

Hikari's fists tightened and she scrunched her face into a snarl as she looked at him.

"Are you done?" Sasuke asked as he turned back to Jugo and then formed his hands into a sign.

"Do not think you hold some great power over me," Hikari said harshly. "I will break free of this."

"Well, you're not free yet."

"If you bring Orochimaru back, the members of Taka you freed are going to be forced to take part in the battle against Konoha!" Suigetsu said as he looked away from Hikari and back to Sasuke again. "Are you really fine with that!?"

"Be quite, Suigetsu." Sasuke looked back towards him. "Instead of talking, bring me a part of Kabuto's body."

"Do you honestly think that people will listen to what you say if you won't listen to them?" Suigetsu asked bitterly as he crossed his arms.

"In that case, I will get it," Jugo said as he began to walk towards Kabuto's body.

"Are you really alright with this Jugo? Orochimaru will be revived!"

"I don't care," Jugo said as he looked towards his teammate. "Sasuke's will is Kimimarou's will and I will abide by that will."

"That's the most retarded thing I have ever heard!" Hikari said as she groaned as she watched Jugo do as Sasuke asked. "I knew Kimimarou, him and Sasuke are nothing alike!"

Hikari sighed as she watched the tall man walk towards Anko's body and then attach the lump of flesh to her neck.

"I am getting a really terrible feeling about this…"

In a matter of seconds, a snake had burst from the seal of Anko's neck and Orochimaru slid out from its mouth.

"I would have never thought that you would be the ones to resurrect me," Orochimaru said as he jumped out from the snake's mouth. His eyes drifted to Kabuto's body and then he stared.

"Orochimaru, there is something that I want you to do for me," Sasuke said as he turned to his former teacher.

"There is no need to explain things to me in detail; I was observing you within Anko's body. I put my own chakra into the cursed seals and split my consciousness with them."

Orochimaru turned towards Hikari and then smiled.

"It's good to know that you're still afraid of me, girl," he said as he watched her. "And you're pregnant…so much has happened while I was away."

"Stay away from me," Hikari demanded as she took a step back. "I am stronger now, you can't touch me."

"Yet you fear me," he said as he watched her thoughtfully.

Hikari bit her lip and then felt the tips of her fingers begin to shake.

"It's because you're pregnant that you fear me…you know that you don't have access to your full arsenal of powers. You're weak right now, my daughter, and the perfect prey."

"Hikari is not your daughter," Sasuke said as he crossed his arms.

Hikari's eyes widened and she took her gaze off of Orochimaru to look at Sasuke with a raised brow.

"She's the daughter of the man who calls himself Tobi…he told me so himself," Sasuke said firmly. "Hikari is an Uchiha."

"E-Excuse me!?" Hikari said loudly as her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "How long have you been aware of this? Why haven't you told me!?"

"Foolish boy," Orochimaru said with a smile. "Shizuka has always been a tricky one. She used your very weakness against you."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Hikari has always been my daughter and always will be," Orochimaru said firmly. "Do you honestly think I would not check the DNA of a child I considered my own?"

Hikari looked back towards Orochimaru and frowned; nothing of what they were saying made any sense to her. They might as well have been speaking a foreign language.

"Shizuka lied to the man you spoke of so that he would, in turn, lie to you," Orochimaru said as he eyed Sasuke. "I would assume she did that to protect Hikari from you. If you thought that Hikari was an Uchiha, you would not harm a pretty hair on her head no matter what she said to you about your decisions and choices."

"That's ridiculous," Sasuke said firmly.

"But it's not," Orochimaru said just as strongly. "It's quite ingenious; she told an Uchiha to tell you, knowing that you would never believe her word. She used your gullibility against you."

"Both of you stop!" Hikari said loudly as she looked between them. "Just someone tell me who is my real father."

"As I have said," Orochimaru said as he looked towards her with a smile. "I have always been your father and always will be. Just as you have always been a planned vessel for me…and still are."

Hikari snarled.

"I will break every bone in those limp arms of yours if you touch me!" Hikari yelled icily. "I swear it!"

"You won't touch her," Sasuke said as he walked towards Hikari and stood in front of her. "She's mine and is off limits."

"I belong to no one!" Hikari insisted. "I am my own fucking person!"

"Let's just get down to business," Sasuke demanded. "I don't care whose father you are. That's not what I need you here for."

Hikari crossed her arms and then turned away from them with a huff.

"I am guessing based on what you said about Anko, you know about the war?"

"Sure…but I don't have any interests in the war." Orochimaru smiled and looked towards Sasuke. "Why would I partake in a war I did not start? If there is anything I am interested in, it's your and Hikari's bodies."

"I knew it!" Suigetsu yelled.

"You may be my father, but if you touch me, I will kill you," Hikari said as she turned on her father and drew a Kunai from her holster. "I can do it too, you know I can."

"Like I said, you're weak right now…but even that being said, I am in no condition to take over anyone's body…"

Sasuke walked towards Orochimaru, ignoring the threats that Hikari was spilling like a pot just about to boil over, as held the scroll out to the snake-man.

"What do you intend to do once you have met them?"

"I don't know enough about this…" Sasuke said as he frowned. "I want to know everything from them."

"Everything?" Orochimaru asked with a raised brow. "But you are still just a child…"

"That's not it," Sasuke said as he stared directly into his former teacher's eyes. "I am not a child anymore. I want to know what began all this. I want to know how I should act."

"Are you hesitating with your revenge?" Orochimaru asked with a smile. Hikari felt her heart flutter as she looked up towards Sasuke, just barely gripping onto a thread of hope.

_"Maybe Itachi did change him,"_she thought as she studied him.

"No," Sasuke said forcefully.

Hikari did not know if she could look more let-down than she had all the times before, but she felt terrible. It was like Sasuke was chipping away at her being, wearing her down until there was no more fight left in her.

Orochimaru smiled as he watched his daughter.

"You so recklessly hurt her," he said as he watched the hope drain from her face. "I can see her breaking…it's going to happen any day now; she's going to give up. What will you have left if not her?"

Sasuke turned and looked back at her with a frown.

"You're wrong," she said as she looked her father in the eyes. "You people can try to break me down over and over again, but I have someone who needs me. If I have to, I will leave this place far behind and never turn back."

"But you're not allowed to," Orochimaru said with a grin, "even if you choose to leave him, you're still forcibly bound to him."

Hikari snarled.

"Enough," Sasuke said firmly. "I am making the decisions around here. Hikari will not leave and you will show me what I want."

"Very well, boy."

"Why, Sasuke?!" Hikari demanded. "Why do you want to do all of this!? Just walk away! It's not that hard! You don't have to live your life like this anymore!"

"I want to know the way Itachi thought…I want to know why he was willing to protect his village after everything they did to him."

"BECAUSE HE WAS A GOOD PERSON!" Hikari screamed as tears began to form in her eyes. "Because he was a better man than you could ever hope to be!"

"Enough, Hikari," Sasuke demanded.

"NO!" she bellowed. "I am not going to back down! Not after all that you have done to me! Do you want to know why your brother did what he did? I felt it was pretty obvious! He did it for _you_! Because he loved _you_! And now you have taken that love and _tainted_ it, doing everything your brother had hoped the opposite of. He may have told you that he would love you do matter what you do, but I _won't_!" Hikari tried to wipe at the tears that were falling, but they were too many in number. Despite the tears, her rage was evident on her face; she was a whole new level of angry. "If you kill my family and friends, Sasuke Uchiha, you will have gained yourself a new enemy and believe me when I say I _will_ be the most **powerful**Koizumi in existence!"

"Enough, Hikari…it's an order," Sasuke said in a dangerously low tone.

"NO!" Her hand began to burn, but she didn't care; her stubbornness was taking over. "I won't be silenced! Not anymore!"

"Now look at what you've done," Suigetsu said with a sigh.

The tears that now leaked down her face were not from her rage, but the agonising pain that was ebbing from her hand, but she refused to give in.

"Hikari!" Sasuke yelled as he watched the mark begin to spread; she could see a flicker of worry in her eyes, but she wasn't sure if it was sincere. She felt like she didn't know Sasuke anymore. Perhaps the look was for Kuraiho, maybe Sasuke didn't care about Hikari anymore; she felt like that was probably the case.

With the thought of her son, and the kick of his small leg inside of her womb, she suddenly gave in to the burning and Sasuke's will; he was crying out for her help, defenseless, unable to help himself. If Sasuke refused to protect him and do what was right for their son, she had to.

She bit her lip and began to hysterically cry as she fell to her knees, so angry that she could not fight. She was so ashamed that she was forced to bend to their will over and over again, but Kuraiho was more important.

"Fine…" she uttered as the burning came to a sudden stop, leaving her hand and wrist throbbing painfully; she felt as if she had engulfed the appendage in in flames and then plunged it into searing embers. The pain made her head spin and made her feel nauseous. She felt her eyes begin to close and before she knew it, her mind was being sucked into a black abyss.


	90. The Ninetieth Passage

**Author's Notes:**

Wow, two in a couple of days. However, I do fear that this is my last chapter until Kishimoto tells me what's going on. I really don't want to AU.

_**The Ninetieth Passage:**_

Fu, Ichiro, and Kin ran through the twisting trees, trying to locate Midoriko. It was difficult for them because they did not have the strongest sensory-type shinobi among them; unfortunately, the Kunoichi they were looking for held that position in the group.

"I think we're close," Fu whispered as he peered through the trees and looked at the battlefield that could be seen in the distance.

"Do you think she would have gone straight into the battle?" Ichirou asked as he looked at Fu.

"It was her mission to track down Naruto and see if she could find Hikari in the area," Kin said as he folded his arms. "We know when she dispersed us all; she headed towards where Lady Kameyo had gone. There is a possibility that she got swallowed by the fighting."

"There must be a way we could get her attention or signal her somehow!" Fu said with a frustrated huff. "I really don't want us to go out there and get mixed up in that battle…the last thing I need is somebody else dying."

"It's essential we find her," Kin said forcefully. "Lady Kameyo's plans worked around Midoriko. We need her here."

"Her plans?" Fu asked with a raised brow. "I know my job is to preserve Hikari's body…but Kameyo told you something else?"

"She did," Kin said with a serious nod of his head, making his dull-brownish black coloured locks swish in the movement.

"Well, what was her plan?"

"She ordered me not to say anything under any circumstances," Kin answered as he looked away from Fu.

"Listen here you great oaf," Fu said loudly as she stood to her full stature, which was really quite short compared to the two men she traveled with. "We all know that I am the leader now that Kameyo is gone, so if we're going to inherit her will, I need to know her plans!"

Ichiro turned to his cousin and nodded.

"Tell her," he said calmly. "She's leading us until we are able to get Lady Hikari safety."

Kin sighed and then looked towards Fu.

"Lady Kameyo intended to use Midoriko as Hikari's vessel…"

Fu's eyes widened.

"That's who it was!?" she asked loudly. "What a sick and cruel woman! There is no way Hikari would have been able to handle the mental impact of possessing her friend and killing her."

"Don't talk about her that way," Kin said with a snarl.

"Look, why you two are arguing, I am going to try something," Ichiro said as he pulled a Kunai knife from his pouch and looked towards the trees.

"What are you thinking?" Fu asked as she looked towards Ichiro.

"I learned an ability from Kameyo," Ichiro explained as he sat down and then cut his arm. "I believe that Lady Hikari has actually been known to use this too." He let the blood flow out onto the ground and then did a summoning jutsu. Four falcons stood in front of him when the smoke cleared.

"I need to be able to see through your eyes," Ichiro whispered as he forced the blood into the animals bodies, making it go straight to their brains and controlling them. "Chirinku no Jutsu," he said quietly as he made them fly off.

"Genius," Fu said with a nod of her head. "You can have them look and then even get a message to her."

"What are we going to do now about Hikari?" Kin asked. "Without Lady Kameyo, she can't learn how to transcend bodies."

"Well to be honest, Kameyo told me that it was often involuntary for her," Fu said as she crossed her arms. "But we really don't know the extent of Hikari's 'spiritual' abilities, for lack of a better word. I can technically force her consciousness out of her body and into another's pretty easily, so we might have to rely on that."

"Well, is Midoriko okay with being taken over?" Ichiro asked with a raised brow as he watched the skies intensely; Fu knew he was seeing through the bird's eyes and looked for Midoriko in the crowd.

"It's Lady Kameyo's will, she would not defy that," Kin said strongly.

"No…I don't want to force Hikari into killing her friend," Fu said strongly. "We'll find someone else."

…

"It's been hours," Fu said as she looked at the setting sun. "Is there still no sign of her?"

"I'm searching through a lot of Shinobi," Ichiro said, "many with blond hair who happen to be female…it gets difficult when there are large crowds."

Fu huffed impatiently as she crossed her arms and watched the tree-line, keeping an eye out for any enemies who sensed their presence.

"There seems to be a lot going on out there…not to mention, I think that the man Kameyo thought was Madara is not," Ichiro said with confusion laced in his tone. "A resurrected Madara and that man with the mask are standing next to each other."

"Wait, I thought that the resurrection jutsu was stopped," Fu said with a frown. "Do you see any other undead?"

"No…just him," Ichiro confirmed with a sigh. "He must be working with the man in the mask."

"I bet it was them that killed Lady Kameyo," Kin said bitterly. "She loved Madara and she went on thinking the man in the mask was him…it must of left her weak, weak enough that they could surprise her in order to get her to lower her guard and then strike to kill."

"It's evil," Fu said as she looked towards the sky.

"It's unfortunately true."

All of their heads turned towards the voice.

"Midoriko!" Kin said as he shot to his feet.

"Release!" Ichiro said as he undid the jutsu and then stood too.

"I saw your falcons," Midoriko said with a friendly smile.

"You said it was true?" Fu asked as she jumped down from her tree and then stood in front of Midoriko with a frown.

"I saw her die," Midoriko said with a glum frown. "Madara surprised and killed her…I don't know why he didn't try to recruit her to his side though."

"Probably because he knew her mind was unwavering from the interactions the mask-guy told him about," Fu said icily. "That bastard betrayed her."

"We had better get going," Midoriko said with a frown. "I sense a chakra near Hikari that I _do not_like."

"Oh yeah?" Ichiro asked. "Is it her trash boyfriend?"

"No…It's Orochimaru."

Fu's face hardened.

"That's like baiting a moth to a flame. Let's go…now, Hikari's in danger."

…

"Kin?" Midoriko asked as she approached him with a gentle smile. "May I talk to you?"

"Sure," he said as he watched over the sleeping shinobi in front of him. Fu closed her eyes tighter, pretending to sleep, but listening hard.

"Lady Kameyo always liked you the most, didn't she?" Midoriko asked.

"_Lady Kameyo?"_ Fu asked herself. _"Midoriko always address Kameyo as Shizuka because that was the name she met her with." _

"I don't know if she liked me the most, but I think she trusted me the most," Kin said with a nod of his head. "She trusted me with secrets the others still are not aware of."

"I think she did trust you…but do you still remain loyal to her? It seems Fu has taken over as leader," Midoriko commented.

"I will always be loyal to Lady Kameyo…she is the woman who brought us all together and saved my life. Her cause was in Hikari, and now I am loyal to her," Kin said strongly. "I owe the Lady that much."

"Well, I think it may overjoy you to know that it was not her that perished on the battle field that day…it was Midoriko."

Fu's heart stopped.

"My Lady!" Kin said as stood and bowed.

"But we must keep this a secret between us for now, Kin," she said in a whisper. "Originally I had hoped by choosing Fu for her job in this team, her past would keep her from caring about who I picked as Hikari's vessel, but it seems she has grown more attached to Hikari as of late. I fear Fu would bear hard feelings." Fu heard Kameyo bring her hand to her lips. "Shush, it's our little secret, okay?"

"Yes, my lady."

**Chapter End Notes:** Feedback, please? Was this CLEAR? Did you understand what happened? Thanks!


	91. The Ninety-First Passage

_**The Ninety-First Passage:**_

Fu didn't know what to do about what she had heard. Fu could only mull over the information again and again. Midoriko had been dead for weeks now; ever since it appeared that Kameyo died on the battle field, to be precise. Fu could only guess what really happened when Madara and the masked-man killed her was that Kameyo's consciousness took over the closest female Koizumi, which happened to be Midoriko. It didn't matter if the possession was an accident, Fu was angry. Midoriko was Hikari's closest friend, the only person the abused Kunoichi felt was truly on her side. Fu had never overly liked Hikari, but she would not wish such events on any enemy. Fu had always known Kameyo was a cruel and ruthless woman who would stop at nothing to further what she wanted, but this was even beyond what Fu thought were her capabilities.

Fu had contemplated telling Ichiro, but there was the possibility that he would react by aligning himself with his brother and therefore Kameyo. That would only cause trouble for her in the end. Fu knew that talking to any of her teammates was not an option, else she risked her own life while dividing the team, and so the next thing she thought of was only logical; confronting Kameyo who now inhabited Midoriko's body. Fu realised this was dangerous, but she found herself with little choice.

_"Daisuke…I wish you were here,"_ Fu thought with a sigh as she closed her eyes. _"You always knew what to do when I was lost." _

"Something seems to be bothering you," Midoriko's voice spoke, but Fu knew better. She knew that it was truly Hikari's mother in that body. Midoriko's kind heart was now snuffed out by something much darker. Fu thought in that moment that perhaps the reason she was so upset about what Kameyo had done was because Midoriko had become her friend in the long months they had spent together. Kameyo had taken one of the few friends Fu had without any remorse.

Realising she had not yet responded to Kameyo, Fu took in a deep breath and tried to gather all of her courage. She knew she could say what she needed to say because in the end, Kameyo could not kill her because she still needed Fu. When it came down to the bare facts, Fu had an ability that Kameyo needed to safely pull Hikari from her body and put her in a new one if something went askew.

"Lady Kameyo?" Fu whispered her question as she peered into Midoriko's eyes. It felt so strange for Fu to see the body of Midoriko and knew that it was not her soul inside of it. It was like staring into the eyes of a dead puppet, her heart no longer beating beneath her chest.

"So you knew?" Kameyo answered Midoriko's question with another.

"You weren't quite acting like yourself," Fu lied with a shrug as she crossed her arms, choosing not to say how she really discovered the truth.

"I am gravely saddened by this outcome," Kameyo said with a sigh as she looked down at hands that were not hers.

"I can see why…Midoriko was the vessel you had hoped to use for Hikari," Fu said in return, her words leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

Kameyo turned to the other two members of the team and smiled at them gently. "Ichiro and Kin, could you please give Fu and myself some privacy?"

"Sure," Ichiro said with a nod as he nudged his cousin. "We'll go scout ahead."

Once the duo had left, Kameyo turned back to Fu. "I have never been in a body with tainted blood," she spoke as she frowned. "However, despite that fact that she is not pure, I have even gained access to Midoriko's wood-elemental jutsu. The only downfall is that I have to focus extensively on controlling the first-Hokage's cells, but other than that, this would have been a perfect body for my daughter."

"You shouldn't talk about Midoriko like she's some kind of sweater to be worn," Fu said bitterly. "She trusted you."

"She knew her duty, it just ended up being for me rather than Hikari." Kameyo looked down at her hands again. "However, I do want to get out of this body as soon as possible. I don't like the tainted blood."

Fu frowned again.

"Well, we should find you a _worthy_ subject as soon as possible…"

"Oh don't worry, dear, I have one in mind." Kameyo said with a friendly smile. "Now come on, I'd like to catch up to the men."

When Kameyo left Fu tried to figure out who Kameyo could have singled out already. She had only been with her team since coming back; there was no one who was an option. With the realisation, Fu felt her face fall as her eyes widened.

_"Kameyo needs my powers to transfer Hikari…" _Fu thought as she watched her master's back disappearing into the woods. _"I have a feeling I know who that candidate is." _

…

Hikari had been so nervous for the first day of travel that she had stuck painstakingly close to Sasuke's side, even grabbing onto his arm at times. She didn't want to be anywhere near Orochimaru just in case he decided upon doing something to her. His mere presence made her hands shake and her legs feel weak. When she was with Itachi, she didn't think she was afraid of her father anymore because she had to worry about Madara, but she had simply just shifted her attention. It had been over two years since she had last seen her father, and she was still just as afraid of him as she was all of those years ago when she was in Konoha. Being around Orochimaru brought forth no comfort for Hikari, only supressed memories.

On top of worrying about her father's intentions constantly, Hikari also had to worry about the abundance of inconsideration for her condition among the shinobi she traveled with. It was as if none of them remembered she was pregnant, which was extremely frustrating to her considering the fact that the father of her child walked right next to her. Hikari wasn't sure how she could beat it into their head that she had changed, that she wasn't as strong anymore, and that they needed to wait up for her.

When she mulled over the problem, she wasn't really sure if it was the fact that they were just ignoring her problem, or not thinking about it. After all, Hikari was the one who was pregnant, not them. She knew that the shinobi around her had no problem walking for days, but with how heavy she was with child, Hikari became winded when she walked for thirty minutes. She was exhausted by the end of the day when they stopped to make camp. She had immediately sat on a large tree that had fallen over due to the vicious winds of a storm and not moved since.

"Hey, are you alright?" Suigetsu asked her as he handed her his water bottle. Hikari eyed it with surprise, she had never seen him offer to share. But then again, she also had no idea where that water came from; what if it was a part of him?

Hikari smiled with thanks, but pulled out her own canister, and flashed it in front of him before drinking the last few sips of the water it contained. She would have to find a river and then purify the water, or else she'd probably drop dead from dehydration. It was not a pleasant thought to her already troubled mind.

"Hey, Sasuke, I think we should break more often," Jugo said as he looked at Hikari. "She looks exhausted."

Sasuke looked at Hikari and then knelt down in front of her with a frown on his lips. Preparing for an argument, Jugo and Suigetsu both realised they needed to gather firewood and some food and then quickly scurried out of the makeshift camp before they got caught in the middle.

"Why didn't you say you needed a break?" he asked as he touched her stomach.

"Well, exercise is good for me," Hikari whispered back, trying to keep Orochimaru out of their conversation. "I didn't really think much of it." Sasuke sighed and shook his head with a small smirk on his lips. "You have never really thought much about your own safety, you're just as reckless as ever." Sasuke paused and then eyed her stomach. "How much longer?" Sasuke asked as he sat down next to her, keeping his hand on her rounded belly and sliding his other arm across her back and around her waist.

"Yes," Orochimaru said, joining their conversation, as he walked towards them with a smile that unnerved Hikari to no end, "how long until my grandson is born?"

Hikari's lips tightened into a firm line as her jaw tensed. "My son is _not_ your grandson," Hikari hissed as her eyes narrowed. "You are no father of mine, you sick bastard."

Orochimaru sighed and then knelt in front of her. He reached out and touched her face, cupping her smooth cheek with his palm. Sasuke glared at him, his grip on Hikari tightening as his eyes spoke an unvoiced threat. Orochimaru ignored him however, paying no mind to his former student's wrath.

"Rather you like it or not, I raised you," Orochimaru said softly in his hiss of a voice. The softness didn't make Hikari see him as any less dangerous, if anything, it only made him seem more ominous to her. "I am the reason that you are the person you have become today."

"That's not true," Hikari said with venom leaking from every word that slipped through her lips. "I have been running from you since I was fifteen years old."

"And now we're together again," Orochimaru said with another smile upon his lips. "I do have to thank my dear Sasuke for that, without him, I would have never have seen my precious daughter again. He must be loyal to some extent because he keeps on brining you back to me."

Hikari recoiled from his touch with disgust in her eyes. She snarled and then kicked her leg out, hoping to knock him off balance, but she knew her father better than that. He had expected her to lash out and simply side-stepped.

"You will never lay a single finger on my son," Hikari said with malice. "Do you understand me?"

Orochimaru straightened out, chuckling as he walked away from her. Hikari felt herself sink into Sasuke more, exhausted from trying to fend off the pedophile that called itself her father. She bit her lip and tried not to cry; she had been crying too often lately.

"I won't let him hurt you or Kuraiho," Sasuke said firmly. "As soon as he gives me what I want, I will kill him again."

"Well, you had better hurry up, because you have less than a month and a half…and who knows if Kuraiho will get restless and want to come early," Hikari said in a whisper. "I do not want him here when he is born."

"He won't be," Sasuke assured. "By then, I will have what I want."


	92. The Ninety-Second Passage

_**The Ninety-Second Passage:**_

The five of them stood in front of a large building, but it looked as if it was about to collapse at any moment. The wooden beams holding up the roof were cracked and split and the cement pillars holding up the building were severed and broken. Hikari eyed it cautiously, trying to figure out if it was stable.

"Is it safe to go in there, Sasuke?" she asked quietly. "It won't come down, will it?"

"I don't think so," Orochimaru said as he answered her question.

"Well it doesn't look like someone is using it," Jugo said as he threw his two cents in.

"That's because it's crumbling down," Suigetsu said with a roll of his eyes. "I am with Hikari, is it even safe?"

"Suigetsu," Hikari said as she shook her head and then looked at him sternly, "at any time you can evaporate your body into water. What do you have to be afraid of?"

"Your sarcasm is greatly appreciated," he said as he stuck his tongue out at her. "Maybe I was looking out for your safety."

"You were not," Hikari said as she crossed her arms.

"You don't-"

"Quiet," Sasuke demanded as he looked between them with a mild glare, "both of you."

Suigetsu rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Yes, I will get right on that, King Sasuke."

Hikari stifled a laugh as Sasuke shot him an even colder glare. She couldn't help but feel like this team was beginning to return to the way it used to be when she first joined. There were no hard feelings, Suigetsu was joking, and everyone seemed to work together well. She just wished Orochimaru wasn't there.

"Come on," Sasuke said as he walked towards the building. Hikari followed closely behind, grabbing onto his hand as she ducked under the wooden beam that was collapsing. If she held onto him, there was no way he wouldn't remember to grab her if the building decided to implode.

"Which one?" Sasuke asked when the others were inside.

Hikari found herself staring at a bunch of masks on the wall, all of which resembled demons that might come from a child's nightmares. She figured they probably had some kind of spiritual significance to them, but didn't know what. She eyed them all, trying to figure out which one Sasuke might need, but she had no idea. They all mostly looked the same to her, only changing in small features like the nose or teeth.

"Here it is," Orochimaru said as he let a snake slither out from his sleeve and wrap its way around the mask. Its teeth were all black and it had a smile upon its face that unnerved Hikari.

"It's kind of creepy," Suigetsu said as he turned his head away in disgust. "If it's the one you need, let's go right away."

"Yes, let's go," Orochimaru said as he looked over his shoulder, "to the place where all the secrets lie."

…

It had been three or four long years since Hikari had stepped into Konoha, but it did not feel any different. Despite it being destroyed and then rebuilt again, Hikari still got the same feeling she did while she was in Konoha. Hikari loved that the city retained the same smell, same quaintness, and the same people.

Instantaneously, Hikari felt like she was home after many long years of being away. No place in the entire world had made her feel like she did then when her feet walked along the dirt roads. The wind was always soft in Konoha, lifting her locks of ink-coloured hair from her shoulders gently. Slowly, the tears came to her eyes making her stop walking as she looked around. If Sasuke made the wrong decision, she would never see this place again; she would never have the life she wanted.

"You really did fall in love with Konoha," Orochimaru said as he observed his daughter's reaction with no particular emotion showing on his face. "When you returned to the Sound, you were never quite the same."

"I made friends here and I met my family," Hikari said as she choked on her tears.

Sasuke looked back at her with a blank expression on his face, just taking in her reaction. She may have been crying, but he hadn't seen Hikari so _happy_ since she had last been in Konoha. Her smile was something that Sasuke treasured and he remembered it fondly, it was some of the few memories he cherished from the village.

Could he really rip the only home she had never known away from her and destroy it before her very eyes? He had hurt Hikari in so many ways and he wasn't sure if she could handle another lashing. Sasuke was doing everything for her and Kuraiho, he was trying to figure out what he should do for them because in the end, they should be all that mattered to him.

Sasuke pulled Hikari into him, holding her tightly as she cried. When her tears began to stop, he picked her up and jumped across the roves until he stood on top of a water tower that made it possible to see the entire village. He set her down, letting her stand next to him as he lowered his hood and looked around.

"This place," he said as he looked around and let the wind caress his skin and gently lift his cloak, "had changed a lot."

"It's still home, though," she said quietly in return as she looked towards the Hokage mountain. "Look, they carved the new Hokage's face into the mountain." Sasuke nodded at her words as his eyes traveled to the stone version of Tsunade's face. "Despite the fact that buildings have changed and it looks different, this place still feels the same for me, Sasuke. Like it is yours, Konoha is my home…please, don't take it away from me."

…

"It's all been destroyed," Hikari said as she looked around at the debris that used to be the Nakano Shrine. "The Uchiha compound…it's gone."

A part of her feared that Sasuke's original home being gone made him feel like this place wasn't home, that it was someplace strange and foreign. She hoped he didn't feel that way. She hoped he could move past something like that and see a future to work towards. Hikari hoped for many things though, and rarely got what she wanted.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan and did a jutsu to move the stone door that revealed a set of stairs. Hikari wasn't sure where they led; she had only been in the compound twice. She sighed as she looked towards Sasuke, trying to understand what he was thinking. She saw a look of sadness in his eyes however, one of longing.

"So you need the Sharingan to open the door, huh?" Suigetsu asked with his usual crooked smile upon his lips.

"It doesn't matter, there's nothing left of the Nakano Shrine anymore," Sasuke said as he began to walk towards the stairs. "What's important is downstairs. Let's go."

Hikari nodded and followed directly behind him, taking each step slowly, descending far underground. When they finally got to the room they needed, it was very bare. There were two fire grates that sprung to life with their presence and a large stone tablet with words carved into it. Hikari eyed it curiously, knowing it was important somehow.

Sasuke removed his cloak and so Hikari did the same, discarding the black fabric as she looked up at Sasuke. She stood next to him, so close their shoulders were touching. She missed feeling like she could be this close to Sasuke. Before, while he was obsessed with killing Danzo, he was incredibly unapproachable. But now, he was different, something had changed somewhere since he had seen Itachi again. Maybe Itachi had said something to him in a genjutsu, like he had done to her.

"I will start then," Orochimaru said as he flung off his cloak and brought the mask to his face. "Stay back."

Hikari took an extra step back with Sasuke and grabbed onto his hand, squeezing. She didn't have the slightest clue as to what was going on or who the people Sasuke wanted to talk to where. She just had to sit on the sidelines and watch.

Hikari's eyes widened when her father caught fire, but despite the flames and the way he yelled, he struggled to keep the mask on his face. Hikari watched him with stern eyes, trying to figure out what was going on. She had never seen him use a mask for a jutsu before. However, most of her questions were answered when, in front of him, the Shinigami of Shiki Fuujin appeared. She knew that was the very spirit that had once taken her father's arms. Hikari watched with widened eyes at the spirit cut open its stomach and released the spirits from within, and as it made the horizontal slash, the same cut appeared on her father's stomach.

"They're back!" Orochimaru cried. Hikari understood what he meant instantaneously; his arms. He had use of his jutsu once again and was now ten times as dangerous as he used to be. Hikari swallowed hard and squeezed Sasuke's hand.

"He won't touch you," Sasuke whispered, trying to reassure Hikari.

"Jugo, Sasuke, Suigetsu, get ready!" Orochimaru demanded as he tore the mask away from his face.

"Right!" Jugo said as he stood next to Sasuke and held out his cursed arm so that his open palm was next to the Uchiha's arm.

"What is going on!?" Hikari demanded as she looked around, backing away from the scene. She suddenly did not feel safe.

"You were asleep and being carried by Jugo when we discussed all of this," Sasuke said to her as he crouched down into position that told her he was ready for something.

Jugo touched Sasuke and then suddenly six forms burst out into the open. Hikari's eyes widened as she watched the blobs leak out from Sasuke's body, feeling like she was going to be sick. Why did everyone have to have some kind of disgusting blobs that came out of their body on this team? Why did it happen a lot more often when her father was about?

"What the fuck are those!?" Hikari demanded in a shrill voice as she took another three steps back. She had hit the wall by then and shuddered, hoping they wouldn't come near her.

"They're Zetsu," Orochimaru explained, just as the plant-man's shape began to form.

"Oh, that's just gross," Hikari groaned as she looked at the white bodies that laid all around Sasuke.

"How did you?" Zetsu asked as he began to try and lift himself from the floor.

"I knew everything about you from my experiments with the cells of Hashirama," Orochimaru said as he knelt and held his bleeding wound. "I know about your sensing skills too. Six of you…Tobi was very careful, I see." Orochimaru used snakes to hold four of the Zetsu clones down to the floor, making it impossible for them to move. "Suigetsu, Jugo, take care of the other two clones."

"Ah, gross," Suigetsu said as he twitched and began to hold the clone's mouth open. "Go on, Lord Orochimaru."

"Right," Jugo said as he advanced on the other, killing it.

"This is so chaotic," Hikari said as she held her head. She turned to Sasuke. "How long were those things in your body? That's just gross…he's like a _parasite_."

Sasuke shrugged as he looked at Hikari. He wasn't too sure of the answer to his question. The clones could have been in him as recent as the eye-transplant, or as distant as his fight with Danzo. As Hikari quivered from the thought of Zetsu being in his body, Orochimaru preformed the Edo Tensei.

"They're coming!" Orochimaru said as he burst from his own mouth in snake form and then rushed into the Zetsu clone that Suigetsu held down, possessing its body.

"Now, that's just disgusting!" Hikari cried. "Why did you think it was a good idea to resurrect Orochimaru, again Sasuke? I thought I was done with this shit!"

Suigetsu backed away from Orochimaru with a look of disgust upon his face. He furiously wiped his hands on his cloak, trying to get the Orochimaru off of his hands. Hikari was mildly amused by his actions, but tried not to show it.

"They're here," Orochimaru said as he looked towards Sasuke with a smile. "The ones who know everything…" Hikari looked towards the bodies that were now standing and gasped upon the sight of them; she had not been expecting them. "The previous Hokage."


	93. The Ninety-Third Passage

_**The Ninety-Third Passage:**_

Hikari chewed on her lip as her eyes drifted between the Hokage in front of her; she didn't really know what to think about their presence. In fact, she was a little confused as to why Sasuke would summon who he considered the enemy back from the dead. After all, it was in his mind that the Senju and Konoha who were the enemy; she just didn't understand why he wanted to talk to these people. However, there was a small hope in her. She knew Sasuke was here to try and figure out what he should be doing; if the Senju could manage to sway him, she would not get in their way.

"That's the first Hokage," Suigetsu said as he pointed at one of the men who stood in from of them. He had long dark brown hair and was clad in ancient shinobi armour. "The man who was said to be the god of Shinobi…Hashirama Senju."

Hikari's hands began to shake when her eyes fell upon the Third Hokage; would he, like the rest of Konoha, think she had a hand in killing him? She was standing right next to her father, and surely, Sarutobi knew by now about why she had been in Konoha. Orochimaru probably told him about her identity before he killed him.

She had always liked the third Hokage, and there was something about him that made her feel like he believed she was a Konoha kunoichi from the beginning. He had never treated her like an outsider and had always shown her the utmost kindness. However, what stuck the most in her mind is that when he asked her if she had killed Arata, and she said no, rather he believed it or not, he didn't do anything bad to her. She just hoped he didn't see her as a cold-blooded killer now.

"It's that Orochimaru guy again," the Second Hokage growled, "the one who brought us back before."

"How is that possible?" Hashirama asked as he looked towards his brother.

"He probably removed the seal of the Shikifuujin that I used to trap us and then used the Edo Tensei to revive us once again," the Third said as he put his hand on his hip.

"He managed to remove that seal?" the Fourth Hokage asked.

As soon as Hikari looked at him, she understood at once just exactly who Naruto's father had been. Their resemblance was undeniable and it made sense as to why Naruto had the Kyuubi sealed within him. She just wondered if Naruto himself was aware of who his father had been and if Sasuke had realised it yet.

"Orochimaru…how did you do it?" the Fourth asked.

"You underestimate me, Minato," Orochimaru said with a smirk. "Originally it was a sealing technique of the Uzumaki clan. After losing my jutsu, I've been studying the ruins of the documents of the now lost clan…"

"Well, it looks like we were resuscitated," Minato said with a sigh.

"I thought that was established," Hikari said with a shake of her head.

"Who are you?" the First Hokage asked as he looked at the fourth. His brother nodded his head and crossed his arms, wondering the same question.

Minato turned around and showed him the back of his jacket. "I'm the Fourth Hokage."

"Oh! So there's been a fourth," Hashirama said with a grin. "I see! So the village has been stable for a long time then?"

"Well…I'm not really sure about that," Minato said as he put his hand behind his head. "I actually died before the Third was sealed."

"Really?" Hashirama asked with shock. "So you weren't sealed together with Sarutobi?"

"I got sealed through a different incident," Minato said with a sheepish smile.

_"Sealing the Kyuubi in Naruto,"_ Hikari thought as she bit her lip. _"Hashirama Senju, his brother Tobirama, Sarutobi, and Minato Namikaze…these are a lot of big names we're dealing with." _Hikari looked towards Hashirama and her eyes watched him carefully. _"Maybe he could help me…he knows a lot about the Koizumi from what Madara told me…maybe he knows how…" _

"So you've figured that out," Sasuke said as he leaned towards Hikari who had begun to stare at the palm of her left hand. "They might know a way…I didn't summon them just for me."

"Who is the Fifth Hokage then?" Hashirama asked as he tilted his head to a side.

"Your granddaughter, Princess Tsunade," Orochimaru answered.

"Tsuna?" he asked as his expression fell to something a lot more nervous. "Is the village alright?"

"Are you worried?" Minato asked with a raised brow.

Hashirama began to laugh loudly as he closed his eyes; Hikari didn't really know what to expect from him, but she hadn't expected someone so upbeat. Madara had made Hashirama out to be some kind of demon who the Uchiha, along with the help of his brother, were being supressed by. Despite all of that, he stood in front of her reminding her of Jiraiya, the sage who had taught Naruto.

"I really spoiled Tsunade because she was my first granddaughter! She even learned gambling from me!"

"Well, from what I heard, that was a bad skill to pass onto her," Hikari said as she shook her head and crossed her arms.

"Kameyo!?" the First Hokage asked as he suddenly looked towards Hikari, realising she was there for the first time. "You're still alive? You haven't aged a day!"

Hikari sighed and shook her head. "No, I'm not Kameyo."

"You look exactly like her…down to every last detail," he said as his eyes widened.

"That's Hikari Koizumi," the Third said as he eyed her thoughtfully. "When she arrived in the village, a Jounin brought it to my attention that she was the daughter of Shizuka Koizumi…who happened to be Kameyo reincarnated."

"She's also my daughter," Orochimaru said as he smiled and licked his lips.

"I am not your daughter," Hikari barked as she closed her eyes.

"I believe I created you," Orochimaru said as he looked towards her.

"I believe that I don't give a fuck," Hikari said bitterly. She reconnected her eyes with the First Hokage and tried to smile at him, but found that she couldn't. "What the Third said is right, I am Hikari Koizumi and the reason I look so much like Kameyo is because she was my mother."

"How old are you?" the First asked as he eyed her thoughtfully. "You look like she did when I was alive…"

Hikari shrugged. "I'm not sure why I look like she did then…my mother was in a body that looks completely different when I was born. I am nineteen."

"So young," Minato said as he looked at her stomach.

Hikari felt herself frown as she laid an arm over her abdomen, as if shielding Kuraiho from his gaze. She was surprised to see him then turn his gaze to Orochimaru with a critical expression; it was as if he had somehow known her struggle against her father in that moment. She bit her lip and looked away from him, her eyes finding Sasuke.

The Second Hokage looked at his hand and then towards Orochimaru with an expression that let Hikari know he was really annoyed. "The Edo Tensei again?" he asked himself with a frown. "You're using my jutsu so easily these days…"

"Well, it's not that complicated after all," Orochimaru said with a smile. "It's just that it shouldn't have been created…your political measures and the jutsu you invented have created a lot of trouble afterward."

"Are you planning to attack the Leaf again?" the Second asked with venom.

"I deprived you of your jutsu at the cost of my own life…how can this be?" Sarutobi asked with a serious frown. "This time you even performed the Edo Tensei on me, your teacher, to use against the Leaf!"

"Hah…the world has always been fighting," Hashirama said as he held his head. "He's right, it wasn't a proper jutsu…that's why I told you before, Tobirama-"

"Be quiet brother and let me talk to this youngster," Tobirama said as he looked towards Hashirama.

"But-"

"Silence!"

"Wow…what a way to talk to your _older _brother," Hikari said with a sigh as she ran her hand through her bangs. "I have a feeling we're going to be here for a while."

Hashirama frowned as he let his brother walk all over him.

"Don't misunderstand me," Orochimaru said with a grin, "that is not my plan anymore."

"Since when!?" Hikari demanded as she looked at her father with a pointed glare. "You're definitely up to something."

"If I was going to force them to work for me, I would block out their personalities and we would have been gone already," Orochimaru said as he looked down at Hikari.

Hikari frowned as she looked away from her father, not believing a word of it. He lived to destroy Konoha; he must have thought she was stupid if she was going to believe that will was suddenly gone. Hikari didn't care who he was, she was not going to let him influence Sasuke's decision like Madara did.

"I have only summoned you this time so that I may create an occasion for him to talk about his wish," Orochimaru said as he pointed to Sasuke. Hikari bit her lip as Sasuke looked directly at the Hokage.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha…and there is something I want to ask you."

"Sasuke?" the Third asked as he looked towards the Uchiha in front of him. Hikari was honestly surprised that he had recognised her and not the Uchiha he swore to protect who was born in Konoha.

"An Uchiha…no wonder you're with the enemy," Tobirama said hostilely.

"I told you to stop talking like that!" Hashirama yelled as he turned towards his brother.

"You're too soft."

"There's no need to talk about me," Sasuke said as his eyes narrowed. "Third, why did you order Itachi to eradicate the Uchiha?"

"So…you already know?" Sarutobi asked with a sigh.

"I killed Itachi to take revenge for the Uchiha clan…" Sasuke said as his jaw tensed. Hikari watched him carefully, but instead of trying to guard against him for the Hokage, she grabbed his hand to give him her support.

"Of course the Koizumi is with the Uchiha," Tobirama said as he glared towards Hikari.

"Do not mix me into you clan battles," Hikari said viciously as she looked towards the Second. "I didn't even know about the connection between the Koizumi and Uchiha until long after I met Sasuke. I believe I have your segregation policies to blame for that."

"Tobirama," his brother said as his eyes narrowed. "Stop talking like that. She's just a child."

Hikari found it strange that instead of her holding back Sasuke, it was he who grabbed her arm to stop her from getting closer to chew the Second out. She hadn't realised that she harboured so much anger until he had tried to say something against her clan. Hikari looked up into Sasuke's eyes and then nodded, stepping back to his side.

"After I killed Itachi, I heard the truth about Tobi and Danzo…I decided to take revenge against Konoha for their unjust treatment of my brother. However, I want to hear it from you…everything about Itachi."

"I see," the Third said with a sigh as he averted his eyes to the ground. After a few moments, he spoke again. "After forcing him to kill his clan, we accused him to be a traitor and eventually even had him watch over the Akatsuki alone. Ever since he was little, Itachi realise the teachings of the ancestors when other people didn't even care for them. He was sensitive, he could perceive many things about shinobi and the origin of the village…that's most likely why he was never bound by his clan and was able to think about the future of Shinobi and the village. He was very anxious about that."

Hikari closed her eyes, trying not to think about Itachi. It was painful whenever someone mentioned that side of him because she desperately had wished that she had got to see it. Even when he was resurrected, she never got the chance really. She had spent all her time with him worrying about losing him again.

"Even from a young age, Itachi's reasoning was advanced…that's why we trusted everything to him alone and he carried it out, considering it his mission." The Hokage paused and looked directly at Sasuke. "He murdered his clan mates, stopped the insurrection, and thus averted the war that would have followed…by himself. He went as far as to enter the Akatsuki to protect Konoha and his only condition was that I would protect you."

Sasuke looked away from the Hokage, hanging his head. "So it's true then…" Hikari frowned as she watched him tense. She lifted her hand to his shoulder, trying to let him know she was there for him.

"It's the cursed destiny of the Uchiha…I didn't even know that they were annihilated," Tobirama said as he looked towards the ground. "They even tried to organize a Coup D'état. I was expecting them to do something like that eventually. There were some rebellious elements that secretly followed Madara's will."

Hikari let out a deep breath, trying to block out his words and calm down but instead she snapped. She turned away from Sasuke and looked directly at the Second, her eyes burning with fury. "We can't all pretend this is one fucking person's fault!" Every eye turned to her and she did not allow her confidence to fade under their gaze. "First off, you should not have pushed the Uchiha into a corner and forced them to live in a cage! With Madara gone, what would have been so wrong with letting the Uchiha help you govern? It was your stupid fear and hatred that pushed them into feeling like the village would destroy them."

Hikari turned her eye to the third Hokage, her anger lashing out at him now. "There should have been another option! Why not negotiate with the Uchiha or just arrest Sasuke's father!? You knew he was trying to launch a Coup D'état! That is grounds to arrest him! Sure it would have stirred the Uchiha, but if you had immediately followed with an action that would have made the Uchiha feel like you would be willing to work with them, then they would have come around!"

Hikari began to fume as she dug her heel into the ground. "You people are so _stupid_…even if Itachi was smart for a thirteen-year-old, you still sentenced a thirteen-year-old to kill off his entire family! You have no idea of the repercussion that had on him! You all talk about how he joined the Akatsuki as if he was content with that, but you never **saw **him! I did though, I spent two years with the man! It didn't matter to you guys anymore once you couldn't see what you had done anymore! You ruined his fucking life and all he lived for was the day Sasuke would kill him to take away his guilt!" Hikari pursed her lips as she continued to rant, tears welling in her eyes. "Itachi couldn't even look at himself in a mirror without feeling disgust! You sent a child to win a war for you, the very thing you were trying to prevent!"

Hikari bit her lip, taking in a deep breath before she looked at them all once again. "I am not naïve, I know that Itachi was no saint, he killed his family; he took the life of his mother, father, friends and clansmen, and then he murdered my predecessor! But you people turned him into that monster! He was a naïve thirteen-year-old and you preyed on the love he had for Konoha! Why kill the entire clan? Not every one of them was guilty of insurgency! Why not take out the rot and leave the rest? You could have dealt with the rebellion in so many ways, but you chose to make a thirteen-year-old deal with it himself. That is sick!"

"What about this runt?" Tobirama asked as he pointed to Sasuke. "If you want to get rid of the weed, cutting the leaves won't work…you have to pull it out at the root. He seems to want to continue to spread the hate." "Because you people fucking _murdered_ his entire family! He was made to grow up without anyone to support him. You ripped the rug out from under his feet, and worst of all, you made him believe that the brother who he had always admired and loved took it all away from him! You made him grow up with ideas of hatred and revenge and even though Sasuke is completely responsible for his actions, like Itachi is for his, you made this monster!" Hikari growled as she began to cry. "You toy with people lives, not giving a flying fuck about who it affects other than yourselves!"

"What do you have to be so angry about?" Tobirama asked as his eyes narrowed. "I don't see your family dead or harmed. You seem to be fine, so why is it that you care so much?"

Hikari let out an aggravated groan as her fists tightened. "I am pregnant with an Uchiha! This is as much as my problem as a Koizumi as it is as a mother! I am caught right in the middle of this!"

"The Koizumi are nothing but the lapdogs of the Uchiha, running with their tails between their legs whenever things get difficult!"

"The Koizumi were scattered because of the influence the Senju had on them!" Hikari screamed as ripped the glove off of her left hand and showed him the mark on her palm. "Your stupid family made it so the Uchiha didn't trust us anymore! We tried to help _you_ and this is the price we paid! This is what happens when you turn two clans against each other! Just like Sasuke, I have every right to be angry!" Hikari panted as her eyes connected to every single set of eyes that belonged to the Hokage. "You people want to leave the fault of this conflict on us, but in reality, every person involved holds responsibility, so let's stop playing the blame-game and actually solve some of the fucking issues I came here for."

***Chapter End Notes***

Do you guys want to see Hikari's most recent picture? Go to my deviantart! My username is karnia-delmoto. I'd post a link here, but it won't let me. :(


	94. The Ninety-Fourth Passage

_**The Ninety-Fourth Passage:**_

"That mark," Hashirama uttered as he gazed at Hikari's palm.

"What is it?" Minato asked as he looked towards his predecessor that had spoken. "I haven't ever seen a seal like that before."

"It's the mark of a curse," Hashirama said in return as he briefly looked towards the Fourth. "Back with the Senju also started marrying the Koizumi and the other clan began to split their loyalty, the Uchiha because obsessively jealous. They viewed the Koizumi as their clan to control, but they had always managed to do it through means of affection…when the Koizumi loyalties split and they realised that they no longer had the sole devotion of the entire clan, they forced them to uphold three principles; obedience, loyalty, and love."

Hikari's eyes widened when he mentioned that there was more than one curse. She had never known that simply because Madara had never told her. Finding this information meant one thing to her, Sasuke was right. Hashirama know about the curse and could potentially help her.

"The curse on my palm is the mark of obedience," Hikari said quietly to the Fourth Hokage. "It was put on my hand by another Uchiha and I am forced to do whatever he tells me unless I want to die."

"That's awful," the Fourth said with widened eyes.

"If I do not perform a command, my body will burst into flames and melt from the inside out, feeding itself on my own chakra," Hikari said as she shook her head.

"Whoever did it must have gotten your blood," Tobirama said as he looked towards her with a raised brow.

"I was only seventeen when the curse was put on me and more than a little naïve," Hikari said as she crossed her arms. "I got tricked into signing the contract…he had information and I wanted it. In exchange for this information, he wanted me to work for him, specifically, he wanted me to keep Itachi alive long enough so that he would live until the day Sasuke came and found him. He said the contract would bind our agreement and it did, quite literally; from the moment the curse appeared on my hand, I have had to obey every word that has come out of his mouth."

Hashirama nodded with understanding as he looked at her. His eyes fell to her stomach and he knew that she was looking for a way out based on the way she protectively shielded the area with her arm. He looked at her once again, stared into her eyes and tried to understand the type of person she was.

As if she understood what he was trying to do, she let her guard down, allowing him to see everything that she was feeling; her love for Sasuke and their son, her bitter hatred for her father, the longing to return to Konoha, her wishes for freedom, and her desperation to see Sasuke good once again. It felt weird for her to let him read her, it was as if she was standing naked in from of him, letting him know everything about her; it made her feel vulnerable.

"Please," she said as she closed her eyes and looked away from him, "I know you can tell me another way to get rid of this curse. You can help me and all I want to do is protect my son."

"It's not going to be easy," Hashirama said as he crossed his arms. "That contract you signed…do you know what happened to it?"

Hikari looked up at him then, biting her lip and holding her breath. She tried to remember what Madara had done with it the day he had her sign it, but it felt like it was so long ago; when she tried to recall the memory, everything blurred in her mind. After a few moments of replaying the scene in her head, she remembered that Madara had reverse summoned the contract, sending it to another plane.

"He used a reverse-summoning on it," Hikari said as she shifted her weight uncomfortably. She didn't know what she had to do to get rid of her prison, but she had a feeling that the contract being on another plane of existence was bad.

"That scroll is the centre of the jutsu he put on you," Hashirama said as he watched her carefully. "If you can find it and then destroy it by having an Uchiha burn it, the curse will effectively disappear because it symbolises the end of your agreement."

Hikari's sense of hope dropped to her stomach and she averted her eyes to the ground. The solution was as simple as to have Sasuke burn the scroll, but getting her hands on it was practically impossible. How could she possibly convince him to give her the scroll without seeming suspicious?

"What if he were to die?" she asked carefully, flicking her eyes back to the First Hokage.

"Unless the scroll is destroyed the mark will effectively stay there and be harmless," Hashirama said with a shrug, "unless he transfers the ownership of his half of the deal to another, then they would have control so long as it is an Uchiha he gives ownership to."

Hikari looked up at Sasuke then, her lips tightening into a line. "You've bargained for me before," she whispered as her eyes narrowed. "Tell him you want the scroll."

Sasuke watched her thoughtfully, nodding to her suggestion. He knew how unlikely it would be for the masked-man to give up Hikari because she seemed to be his favourite pet. Even getting Hikari onto his team had been difficult. He would not exactly be easy to reason with.

"Thank you," Hikari said as she looked towards the First Hokage.

"Whatever you do," he said as he looked at her sternly. "Do not use your mother's jutsu to switch bodies with the obedience curse on you. Unlike the curse of loyalty or love, it attaches to the body and not the soul. If you tried to leave that body, you would cause a fail-safe to activate in the jutsu; it would instantly cause your body to combust and your soul to be destroyed before you could even leave your body."

"Right," Hikari said with a nod, secretly thankful that she had not gone through with her mother's plan yet. "Can you tell me about the curse of loyalty and love? What do they do?"

"Force the victim to have strong feelings of love for the caster or loyalty…those are the worst of the three because not only can the person control you, but you want to obey them despite knowing what they may ask for is wrong," Hashirama explained. "To be honest, I am surprised the caster didn't put one of those on you…it makes me suspect that he didn't know they existed."

Hikari's nose crinkled. As far as she was concerned, that was impossible. Madara Uchiha had been alive during the time of the creation of the aforementioned curses. Despite that, what Hashirama said made sense; why wouldn't Madara put a stronger curse on her? In theory, if he had put the curse forcing loyalty onto her, she wouldn't even be able to talk about such treason with the Hokage.

"Thank you for all of this information," Hikari said as she bit her lip and tried to restrain her happiness; despite the fact that it would be hard for her to get the contract and destroy it, the thought was still a sliver of hope and that was more than she had ever experienced. Leaving it in her mother's hands had made her more than uneasy, but leaving it in Sasuke's was not as frightening; she knew that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.

Once again, she entwined her fingers in his, gripping it tightly as she glanced up at him. He was staring down the Hokage, preparing his next set of questions about the Uchiha. She just hoped the Hokage had the right answer, because more than anything, she wished for Sasuke to become the person she had fallen in love with while she had been in Konoha.

…

"We're close to Hikari," Fu breathed as she stopped the group, "less than a mile away."

"That's great," Ichiro said with a smile as he looked towards who he thought was Midoriko.

"What do you sense, Midoriko?" Kin asked as he looked towards his master, knowing a great Kunoichi was hiding in another's skin.

"Familiar chakra…" she grumbled as she looked in the direction that she knew her daughter to be in. The woman turned to her group and cleared her throat. "I should reveal something to all of you now that we are far enough from the battle field…something you should all know before we go in there."

"Go on," Ichiro said with a shrug as he looked towards Midoriko lazily.

Midoriko closed her eyes and began to concentrate on her chakra, making it weave itself through her insides and outer shell. In a sudden burst of purple-coloured chakra, her appearance changed. Her hair grew out and changed to the colour of ink, as if someone had dropped a bucket of it on her head. Her skin paled and her eyes turned purple. Her chest, thighs, and hips all expanded to fit another body-type and her face became less round. In the blink of an eye, Midoriko no longer stood in front of them, but Kameyo Koizumi did.

"Midoriko sacrificed her body so that I could live after I was dealt a killing blow," Kameyo said as she connected her eyes with every set that stared at her in awe. Despite two of the group members already knowing, even their eyes were shocked by the extreme amount of chakra she had pushed out; she didn't even seem tired in the least. "She fought honourably and died for the good of this clan. We won't let her down! For Hikari!"

"For Hikari!"


	95. The Ninety-Fifth Passage

_**The Ninety-Fifth Passage:**_

"Second Hokage," Sasuke said as he stared at the man in question with rage in his eyes. "What is the Uchiha clan?"

The Second sighed, crossing his arms and holding his tongue while he thought about what to say. Hikari bit her lip as she watched him, knowing that if he said the wrong thing, Sasuke could very well lose his temper; he had never exactly been good at keeping it when it came to the honour of his clan. Sometimes she just wished that they could all put the stupid and historic conflicts in the past, but there was too much blood for that, too much hatred.

"The Uchiha?" he asked as he looked directly into Sasuke's eyes. "They're a clan possessed by evil."

Hikari wanted to press her face into her palm; he had definitely chosen the wrong thing to say. She looked at Sasuke, planning for the worse, but was utterly taken aback to see how relatively calm he still was. She didn't see the familiar tension she was expecting, or the fire waiting to burn everything hiding behind his eyes. She squeezed his hand again, letting him know that she was there still and helping him through it, like she always had.

"The Uchiha and our clan have fought for a long time…originally the two clans were enemies," the Second started as he stared at Sasuke with a very serious expression.

"I know that," Sasuke said with a frown. "What did you mean by 'possessed by evil'?"

The First Hokage sighed, almost as if he had heard his brother say this half a million times and was getting tired of the same old argument. Hikari chewed on the inside of her lip as she watched Hashirama curiously, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Perhaps he wasn't a monster like Madara would leave her to believe; he had given her no reason to continue thinking so, he had even told her how to break her curse. No, she suspected it was his younger brother who had spread so much of the hate. Hikari turned to him then, taking in his appearance and judging him.

"Whilst the Senju clan considered their power to be love and not Jutsu, the Uchiha thought of Jutsu to be above anything else," the Second explained, "but that's not actually true. No other clan treasured love as much as the Uchiha, that's why they sealed that off themselves."

Hikari tried to understand what he meant by the last part, but it didn't make any sense to her. She hadn't met many Uchiha, but the majority of the ones she had didn't seal away their love, if anything, they let it control them. Itachi had done horrible things in the name of his love.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.

"When a member of the Uchiha knows love, it's as if the feelings they were blocking out arise…they awaken something even stronger than the Senju's power of love." The Second said as he crossed his arms and looked Hikari up and down, who was still standing very close to Sasuke.

She hated the judgment she could feel from every one of the Hokage standing in front of her. Not a single one knew the pain she had suffered through her entire life or the love she had for her son growing inside of her. They had no right to judge her age or her reasoning for standing next to someone like Sasuke, seeing that they all had their own record of questionable acts.

"Isn't it okay then?" Suigetsu asked with a raised brow. "Look, I don't get what you're trying to say. Why can't they get along with the Senju? With that strong power of love or whatever…"

"Because their love is too strong," the Second answered without removing his eyes from Hikari. "It can end up driving them crazy because when an Uchiha had known love loses it, that love then turns into an even stronger hate that changes them."

Hikari closed her eyes and tried to weigh the truth of his words. Sure, Sasuke could easily be characterised by that description, but what about Itachi? Had he not known strong love for his brother and village and then lost it? She had never seen Itachi truly hate anything.

"I have seen it happen many times," the Second said, as if to counteract her thoughts, "and every time there is a certain symptom…"

"Symptom?" Sasuke asked, obviously just as lost as Hikari was. It seemed as if the words the Second spoke were some kind of myth from a children-s fairy tale; too out there to believe.

"When the Uchiha suffer after experiencing the loss of a loved one or despair, special chakra sprouts inside their brains, which affects the optic nerve and produces a change in their eyes," the Second continued to explain with a sigh. "That is the eye that reflects feelings…the Sharingan."

Hikari pursed her lips. She knew that the Sharingan was usually awakened, but she couldn't imagine that the majority of the Uchiha clan had suffered some great loss to awaken it. The more that the Second spoke, the more bullshit she heard. It all just sounded a little too far-fetched for her tastes. She liked facts, something she could see if it was laid out in front of her; secret powers coming from an overdose of love-induced pain was not that.

"The Sharingan aligns with the person's feelings and quickly makes that person stronger…" the Second paused almost as if to gather his thoughts, "together with the hatred in their hearts and the Sharingan almost all of the ones who experience strong feelings are captured by darkness and then turn to evil. Indeed, there are many sensitive people among the Uchiha."

"So, the ultimate cure to being an Uchiha is to be an unfeeling drone?" Hikari asked as she let go of Sasuke's hand and then crossed her arms. "The price of power might come at great costs sometimes, but never that much. This all sounds a little too convenient." Hikari then turned on her father, narrowing her eyes in preparation to face him. "Did you put him up to this?"

"I haven't spoken to the Second about the Uchiha before," Orochimaru said with a smile as he observed his daughter, "but I do agree that this is all very _fascinating_."

"You misunderstand," the Second said as he watched her carefully, "if anything, the Sharingan is more of a compensation for the negative feelings that seem to fester inside of that clan…it's a crutch."

Hikari shook her head as she turned back to the Hokage and then closed her eyes. "Well, it's not a very good one is it then? By what you're saying, for an Uchiha to get stronger they must experience leaps and bounds of pain."

"The deeper their darkness becomes, the more powerful their eyes gets…and then it becomes impossible to handle them, like in Madara's case," the Second explained.

"Yeah, he went blind," Hikari said with a shrug, "but there is more to their blindness than an override of power. The Uchiha were cursed." The Second nodded in acknowledgment of her statement.

"Madara really loved his brother…probably even more than your brother loved you," the First said to Sasuke.

"I wanted to channel the Uchiha's power into something that could be of help to the village. However, if they ended up destroying themselves for the sake of the village, that cannot be helped," the Second said as he closed his eyes. "But by doing so, they were still a help to the village anyways…probably better than they would have been alive."

Hikari frowned in disgust as she felt the stress from the whole situation take a toll on her body. "What an awful thing to say…you're a disgusting excuse for a human being. You totally lack compassion."

"Tobirama!" the First shouted. "Would you stop talking like that!? The one you happen to be speaking to is a pure Uchiha child!"

"What's more important is the village," Tobirama said stubbornly. "The village always comes first…you should understand that, brother."

"It's because of the way that the importance of one family against another was weighed that the Uchiha were exterminated," Hikari said forcefully as she held her stomach, disliking the cramping she felt. "You say that the village is more important, but what you really mean is that the Senju are more important because the Senju are that village. You have always disregarded the fact that we are all human and have only ever solely considered the family name every time that some struggle happens."

"I don't care about any of that…" Sasuke said as he activated his Sharingan. "I am not pure nor am I a child."

Hikari really wished he wouldn't have worded his sentence that way, but then again, maybe he had intended for it to be interpreted in the exact way she had. It was either that or Hikari was entirely too perverted. Nevertheless, it was obvious that Sasuke wasn't 'pure' anyways because of her ever-rounding stomach.

"A Mangekyou?" the Second asked as he looked at Sasuke intently.

"First Hokage…I will ask you," Sasuke said as he crossed his arms. "What is the village? What are Shinobi in the first place?"

The First Hokage held his chin and closed his eyes, carefully considering Sasuke's question. Hikari didn't mind the First, actually she honestly didn't have much of a quarrel with any of them except the Second. She just didn't like his personality, beliefs, or the way he handled bad situations. She continued to hold her stomach, frowning as she looked at him.

"What is the Village and what are Shinobi?" he asked himself.

"Itachi…he was my brother," Sasuke said as he released his Sharingan. "He was used by the village, yet he risked his life to protect it even when he knew what they had done to him and his clan. But most of all…he died proud to be a Shinobi of the Leaf."

Hikari frowned as she looked at Sasuke and then spoke. "I knew Itachi…I want to say that I knew him well, but I feel like it would be a lie on my part. The truth is that I spent two years with him and only began to scratch the surface. Itachi was an immensely complicated man, but it's fitting for he had an immensely complicated life. Nevertheless, he was a good man at heart. He tried to do the right thing but took all the wrong paths in trying to do so."

Sasuke nodded at Hikari, in which she guessed he was okay with her speaking about his brother. After all, even though he hated to admit it, Hikari had known Itachi better than he had, along with almost everyone else these days. Sasuke sighed before he turned back to the First. "My brother killed his comrades, family, and friends…I always thought he was a horrible man, but after so many years of hating him I learned the truth about him. Itachi died to protect the Village that made him slaughter his family…but why? He told me he was proud to be a Shinobi…"

Hikari frowned, knowing that Itachi had tried to explain his reasoning for doing what he did already. Had it flown over Sasuke's head, or had he just not wanted to hear it at the time? There was so much Itachi probably had to say to Sasuke, but so little time. He had tried to convey so much in just a few words.

"The Shinobi who created this world…this system…what are they? I want to hear the truth from you before I make my decision," Sasuke said as he looked at the floor. It was hidden well under his tone, but Hikari could have sworn she had heard some desperation, like Sasuke needed to hear the right thing before he would know what to do. "I need to hear the truth before I decide whether to take revenge on the Leaf or-"

"Revenge on the Leaf!?" the Second asked, cutting Sasuke off. His eyes narrowed and his presence suddenly became much darker. Hikari knew that everything was going to go amiss now, she could see it in the way the Second's muscles coiled. "I guess you're also possessed by the Uchiha's evil and your little Koizumi puppet will undoubtedly follow whatever you do like some lovesick puppy…" The Second's eyes were on Hikari then, staring right at her abdomen and little Kuraiho; he probably thought that he was evil too. Hikari's heart began pounding a mile a minute then, hammering so painfully against her ribs that she could hardly breathe. "I am going to…"

"Second!" the Third Hokage said, his voice giving away his surprise.

Sasuke's lips turned into a snarl as he pushed Hikari behind his back, protecting her as his fingers curled into fists. Hikari was gasping, holding her chest as she fell from her feet. She didn't have time to react and all she saw was the ground hurtling up to meet her. Before that could happen, Orochimaru had his arms around her, catching her before she could hurt herself.

"Sasuke," he said as he analysed his daughter's condition and then looked up at his former student. Sasuke couldn't turn however, he still didn't know how the Second was going to react.

"Tobirama," the First said in a deadly serious tone, his chakra rising around him.

Jugo ran in front of Sasuke, his arms outstretched to protect his comrade. Orochimaru continued to hold Hikari in one arm as he stood and cradled her to his body as if she was a small child. He raised his other hand, bringing his two fingers to the level of his chest. Hikari tried to breath as intense pain overcame her entire body, but she couldn't focus. She didn't even care that her father was holding her at that point.

"Sasuke!" she gasped out, groaning in pain as she closed her eyes.

"Lower your fingers," Hashirama said to his brother dangerously.

The Second glanced at his brother, his eyes serious, but he did not speak at first. He held Hashirama's gaze for a few seconds before he sighed and then relaxed his grip on his own arm. "You don't have to rouse your chakra so much, brother…"

Hashirama then began to burst out laughing, his roar filling the room they all stood in. "Sorry! Sorry!"

"SASUKE!" Hikari screamed out, getting annoyed really quickly with his inability to pay attention. He turned back to look at her, sighing at the behavior of the First Hokage. Sweat had built on her brow and he could see by the way her face was scrunched that she was in intense pain. His heart began to race as worry filled his mind. "My water just broke…"


	96. The Ninety Sixth Passage

_**The Ninety-Sixth Passage:**_

Kameyo Koizumi had arrived at her daughter's location just as they were trying to make her comfortable. The cave was dark and moisture was thick, she could almost taste the water in the air; the conditions were not favourable, but she knew they would just have to make the best of them. She could hear the steady dripping of water from the stalactites on the ceiling and frowned as she realised how sharp some of the natural formations were.

She was happy to find that they had laid Hikari where no stalactites grew over her head, but she was still going to be extra cautious. As she approached her daughter who laid next to a single flickering candle, she scowled at Orochimaru, completely disapproving of his presence, but saved her malice for a later time; she had important matters to attend to first, the most pressing being the birth of her grandson. She looked towards Sasuke and sighed, watching as the light from the small flame danced across his face. She didn't know what the future had in store for him or her daughter, but she also pushed that to the back of her mind. She couldn't think such dark thoughts, she had to have a clear mind about what came next.

Kameyo wasn't sure how she felt about having a grandson. He was the seed of Sasuke, and that worried her, but her daughter seemed to be convinced that the baby would fix all her problems. It was a naïve notion to clutch onto, Kameyo knew that for a fact, but some days she thought that it might be the only thing that kept Hikari going.

When she thought of her daughter becoming a mother and all the lessons she had missed out on teaching her, it made her incredibly sad. Hikari was barely an adult and already she was going to be caring for an innocent soul. A wrong action could taint her son forever, she knew that from experience. However, when all thoughts like that were put aside what really made her sad was that she hadn't really been that much of a mother to Hikari herself. She had failed her in so many ways, let her down, and disappeared when Hikari probably needed her most. Kameyo even worried that Hikari's parenting would suffer.

There was also another possibility, though, and it whispered in the back of her mind, haunting her. Kameyo had to wonder if there was a possibility that because of all the hardship Hikari had gone through, there could be a chance that her parenting would excel far beyond anything Kameyo had ever accomplished. The thought alone made her uncomfortable because the example Hikari would use to deter her from mistakes is the way Kameyo raised her; she knew her daughter saw her as a failure.

Kameyo took a deep breath and shoved it deep down, smoothing her fear. She didn't have time for irrationality, she had to help. She looked at Sasuke again and studied him hard.

"Go," she told him with a firm shake of her head, breaking away from her thoughts. She couldn't focus on how much she had failed if she was going to bring the baby into the world safely.

"But Hikari," he said as he looked back towards the pile of cloaks Suigetsu and Jugo had laid her on.

"I can handle this," Kameyo said sternly as she flicked her eyes to her daughter and then back at Sasuke again. "You just made a proclamation about saving Konoha. Now you should go do it so your child has a better place to grow up than both you or Hikari did."

Sasuke was silent to her statement at first, and she could tell that he was really thinking over what she said. It offered her some relief that he seemed to be a little more balanced out and thinking more about the family he had been abusing ever since he they came into his life. She knew that Sasuke wanted a good place for his son, a place where he could feel safe and never have to go through what Sasuke did. She could see the love in his eyes, the love that reminded her so much of the day she first looked at Hikari.

He turned around and walked towards Hikari after reassuring himself that she would be safe with her mother. He approached Suigetsu and Jugo first. "Stay here and make sure nothing happens to them."

"Right," Jugo said with a nod. "We can do that. After the baby is born, I will come to you and leave Suigetsu here."

"You," Kameyo said loudly as she pointed at Suigetsu, "fetch me some water and boil it if you can."

"Yeah, I can do that," Suigetsu said with a nod of his head as he turned away from Hikari and began to jog out the exit.

When Sasuke approached her, he saw that beads of sweat were beginning to build on her brow and he heard the groans of pain slipping through her parted lips. Despite the fact that she was going into labour and she was in intense and extreme pain, she was fighting down her cries because of the possibility of alerting enemies to their presence; Hikari's mental strength never ceased to prove itself to him.

He knelt in front of her and saw tears glistening in her eyes as she looked up at him. She had yet to lie down, so he quickly wrapped an arm around her torso before she collapsed for the pain and her quickly depleting energy. She reached for him, gripping his shirt tightly into her palm.

"Did…," she squeezed her eyes shut as a contraction hit her, "did you mean it?"

He nodded at her, attempting to let her know everything that he wanted her to with his eyes.

"You're going to defeat him?" she asked weakly.

Sasuke lifted her hand from his shirt, bringing it to his lips and kissing the soft skin of her fingers. "I'll try."

The tears fell then, cascading down her cheeks as she sobbed quietly. She leaned into him, pressing her cheek against his collarbone. "I never thought I'd hear those words from you."

Sasuke nodded, holding her tightly. "I will get that scroll," he promised as he kissed her head. "I won't let you be his prisoner anymore."

Sasuke pulled away from her embrace and then eased her down onto the makeshift bed of traveling cloaks. By then Kameyo was by his side, staring down at her daughter. She pushed him aside and felt Hikari's head, making sure there were no signs of fever that could lead to complications.

"Get out of here," she told him as she looked over her shoulder. "I will make sure your family will be safe."

Sasuke nodded at her as he stood to full height and looked down at Hikari. He didn't have to say the words aloud because he knew that she understood. He loved her. She smiled at him through the pain of her labour, giving him the same expression.

"Kin," Kameyo said as she looked towards the tall Koizumi, "I need rags. Please get me something suitable. Fu, come here and help."

Fu walked to the other side of Hikari and took her hand in her own. She leaned down and whispered into the other Koizumi's ear. "I never got to hold my child. I never got to see them grow up, join the academy, or get married." Fu stared at her intensely, her green eyes piercing Hikari's tired aubergine ones. Hikari was unsure of where she was going with her sentenced, but before she could really begin to panic she felt Fu squeeze her hand. Tears built in Fu's eyes and Hikari finally understood; Fu was nothing more than a grieving mother and wife, she always had been. "I will make sure that you don't have to experience that same pain. Nothing will happen to your son, not while I am in this cave with you."

"Thank you," Hikari said weakly as another contraction hit her. "I know, Fu. I understand."

"Her contractions are getting closer together," Fu said as she looked up at Kameyo, wiping the tears from her eyes. "We need to get her clothes off."

"You might be in luck," Kameyo said as she looked down at Hikari. "This could be a swift birth. Maybe your son is already brighter than his father; he knows when to stop being a pest."

Hikari managed a small laugh at her mother's jape, but then immediately became uncomfortable again as she winced at the pain of Kuraiho's impatience. She wanted to scream, but held it back because she would not endanger her son's life while she was most vulnerable.

Fu reached for the laces of Hikari's clothing and then began to strip her down. "I hope you're not shy, Hikari."

…

"He's beautiful," Fu said as she looked down at the infant in her arms. She lightly rocked him in her arms as his big curious eyes looked up at her face. "He's got Hikari's eyes and Sasuke's hair. He's going to be a heartbreaker."

Kameyo looked at her grandson and saw the Koizumi in him right away. He was the next generation of her line after Hikari, which made her feel something strange. She had never had a line of direct descendants before because she continually forgot whoever her children might have been. She remembered them now, the five or six others before Hikari and knew that they were all long dead. She also knew that a few of them had children, but was also aware that those children were probably dead too.

"When Hikari wakes, she will want to see him," Fu commented as she looked towards Kameyo once again.

Kameyo nodded and bent down to her daughter's side. She could see the evidence of her exhaustion everywhere. Hikari looked so tired, she had large purpling bags under her eyes. She was clammy from the labour and her limbs looked so heavy she could have appeared to be lying dead on her makeshift bead. Kameyo took a needle and syringe from her pouch and then took the cap off the needle. She squirted the blood a little, getting any air that may be inside the syringe out before she injected it into the upper side of her daughter's elbow.

"That is gross," Suigetsu said as he watched Kameyo with a twitching eye.

"This will rapidly heal her," Kameyo said as she looked towards him with her eyes. "She needs to be ready to fight."

"You intend to make her go into battle right after she had a baby?" Fu asked with disgust. "What kind of mother are you?"

"One that knows her daughter well," Kameyo responded, unaffected by Fu's accusations. "She won't want to leave getting that scroll to Sasuke alone. She doesn't want to cower while the friends she made in Konoha fight and die for the country she abandoned. Hikari wants to go."

"Kameyo is right," Ichiro spoke up suddenly. He continued with a blush as his cheeks began to pink. "I used to talk to Midoriko a lot and she always used to tell me about her life, and most of that included Hikari. She said that Hikari was a fighter and the type of person that wouldn't want to leave the fate of herself and her family in someone else's hands."

Kameyo looked towards Fu after she pulled the needle away and already Fu could see the signs of how tired Hikari was slipping away. She looked down at Hikari's son and frowned, knowing that as a mother she would never want to abandon her baby. Kuraiho needed someone to be there for him.

"She will be up soon," Kameyo told Fu as she walked towards her with her arms crossed.

"Do you want to hold the child?"

Kameyo looked down at Kuraiho and saw all of her failures as a mother in his eyes. She turned away from him and shook her head. "No…I don't think Hikari would want that."

Fu shook her head and rolled her eyes as she continued to comfort the child. He stared at her with his curious eyes as he moved his arms, gripping at nothing in particular. "His motor skills seem to be okay."

"That's good," Kameyo said with a shrug. "Except for one or two bumps, Hikari had a relatively healthy pregnancy; it's a miracle considering the stress she was under constantly, but she managed to pull through. Kuraiho should be healthy and stable."

"Well, I don't see any signs of anything being wrong with him," Fu said as she tilted her head. "He seems to be responding to voices, so his hearing seems to be intact. He's moving his arms and legs, which means they're strong. He's already cried, so he has a good set of lungs."

"Is….something wrong with him?"

Fu looked down with surprise and saw that Hikari was awake. She was rubbing her eyes and Fu could see the tiredness in her limbs still, which mean she would be in no condition to go anywhere. "No, he seems healthy. I was just talking about how he seems to be functioning well. No problems."

Kameyo walked around Hikari and helped her sit up, moving her to lean against the cave wall. Hikari thanked her with her eyes and then settled herself comfortably. "Good," Hikari said as she looked at Fu again and held out her arms. "Let me hold him."

Fu smiled as she walked towards the new mother and knelt next to her. She set the baby gently into Hikari's arms, making sure his head was supported. "Look at all of his hair."

Hikari smiled as she ran her free fingers through it. It was thick like her hair, but she could tell it would be spikey and unruly like Sasuke's. Kuraiho looked up at his mother with big eyes and then he smiled, which made tears begin to form in Hikari's eyes. She leant down and kissed his head, more happy than she had ever been in her entire life. Months of stress, heartache, pain, and agony suddenly seemed entirely worth it when she looked into his eyes. He made her forget her pain.

Kameyo took her arm and injected more blood into it, which made Hikari wince in shock and in pain. She glowered at her mother, frowning. Kameyo shook her head and stood, walking back to Fu's side.

"You could have given me some warning; I have a baby in my arms," Hikari said in a low tone.

Kameyo shrugged and put the needle away. "I have something important to talk about. Hurry up and feed your son. We have a lot to discuss."


	97. The Ninety-Seventh Passage

A quicker update than even I expected! Enjoy! I do want to truly apologise to all those who used to review this story and my readers who don't. I am very sorry I haven't been very consistent with my updates and even took months before I posted a chapter. However, this story has been difficult as of late because how close it is to the manga. I hope you guys understand.

_**The Ninety-Seventh Passage:**_

Kuraiho's small body was asleep on top of the coat Hikari usually wore and she had wrapped her extra shirt around him as a makeshift blanket. She had to protect him from everything that threatened him, especially the elements. She wasn't exactly in the most comfortable of places.

Hikari bit her lip as she watched her son sleep, contemplating the peaceful expression on his face. He was so small that one of his hands just barely fit around her finger when he gripped it. He was innocent and so beautiful to Hikari, she could see the very meaning of life in his eyes when he gazed and smiled at her. Despite the family he was born into he seemed so happy; she didn't have words for how that made her feel, she just knew it was good. She couldn't ask for anything better.

"I know you don't want to leave him," her mother said softly from somewhere behind her. Hikari didn't want to turn and face her because she knew that Kameyo was right; she just didn't know if she had the strength inside of her to do it. "This is what's right, you have to train and then you have to go."

"I can take care of him, Hikari," Fu said lightly as she touched the new mother's shoulder. "I will keep him safe while you're gone, if going is what you want."

"I don't want to," Hikari whispered as tears formed in her eyes, but she did everything her power to hold them back, "but if I don't go and then we lose the war, what will I tell him when he is older? That I let his father die in vain? That I let the people I love down?" Hikari paused as she touched his face, tracing the soft skin of his cheek with a single digit. "If I don't go, then I will carry as much blame as anyone else if we fall. If I don't fight, then I can't secure what my son needs. I can't win if I don't try."

"But what if you die?" Fu asked as she averted her eyes to the floor. "What happens when the mother he needs is gone?"

Hikari closed her eyes and tried to hold back her sobs as they came at her full-force. She had thought so much about the future in the last couple of days and this topic was the one that occupied her mind the most. What if Kuraiho was robbed of both of his parents? What if he grew up just like Sasuke or just like Hikari did? She couldn't bear the idea of putting that kind of life into his future. She swore she would never be like her own mother.

"Then I know you will take care of him," she whispered as she looked at her comrade and clan mate.

Fu's eyes widened as the words hit her like a tidal wave. "Hikari…I-"

"I know I am partly responsible for the loss of your family," Hikari interjected in a whisper as she looked back at her son, "and I know nothing will ever take that pain away. However, if I die, I want you to raise him for me, Fu, because I know how _good_ of a mom you would have been. If I die, I want him to be with someone who will love him unconditionally."

Silence fell between them, so quiet that only the water droplets falling from the stalactites could be heard. They dripped in perfect intervals, falling and splashing all around them. Fu took in deep breath and she closed her eyes, nodding her head.

"I won't let him grow up like you did," Fu said as she tightened her fingers on Hikari's shoulders. "If it comes to that, I will love him as if he was my own and I will do everything in my power to make sure he has a good home."

Hikari's relief is what broke the floodgates; tears slowly slid down her face, dropping onto Kuraiho's and making him open his large violet eyes. She was immediately sorry that she woke him, but he didn't cry like she suspected he would. Instead he simply looked at her with his doe-like eyes, blinking as he stared at his mother. He broke out into a smile then as he kicked his feet inside of his blanket while he began to gurgle happily.

Hikari wiped her tears and then smiled at him as she picked him up. She held him close, holding him to her heart as she supported his head with her free hand. She kissed his head, feeling his feathery hair tickle her lips. "I love you, Kuraiho," she whispered as she closed her eyes, "so much."

…

Fu rocked Kuraiho in her arms, singing to him softly as Hikari and her mother left the cave. Hikari's heart wrenched as she walked out into the sunlight, feeling the breeze kiss her cheeks. She hated being away from her son for even more than a minute, but she had to do it for his own good; she had to try.

Over the last few days Kameyo had been giving her steady injections of blood so that her body would recover from her pregnancy faster. She had even lost a lot of the weight from it because her mother had incredibly acute control of her blood; the way she healed the body was so advanced that Hikari suspected it might even rival the legendary Tsunade it its own way. Kameyo was so good at what she did, that she could age the body without even making eye contact, but Hikari supposed that came from hundreds of years of practice

As they walked into the clearing that Kameyo intended to finish training her in, Hikari took notice to the fact that it was fall. With the commotion of Itachi's resurrection and Sasuke's return, she hadn't paid much attention to her surroundings, but now she had time to breath in the fresh air. The leaves underneath her sandaled feet were many different hues of orange, red, yellow, and brown and the air had a chill to it.

Hikari looked at the trees that towered around them as Kameyo positioned herself. "I hope you're ready, because we don't have much time. I have to help you finish your training within the next day."

"Day?" Hikari choked out as her eyes widened. "Is that even possible?"

Kameyo nodded as she crossed her arms and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I will turn you into a real Koizumi."

Hikari pressed her lips into a line and put her hands on her hips. She wasn't sure if she could do what her mother asked. Before, when she tried to learn about controlling a person's chakra, she had barely been able to disperse her own from her body on touch-contact.

"You can do it," Kameyo said firmly, "I know because you're my daughter."

"Don't go thinking this is going to make some touchy relationship arise," Hikari hissed as she sunk into a fighting position, feeling the long grass tickle the tops of her toes.

Even though she had spent so long without fighting, this stance was second nature to her and she found that the memory of it had never left her. Everything she had been taught came rushing back at once, flooding through her body like a gentle current. The memory of her training was encoded into her very muscles; she could feel everything she had ever learned and she would use every ounce of it.

"I didn't think it would," Kameyo retorted with a sly smirk as she positioned herself into her own fighting stance. "Let's begin, shall we?"

…

"Feel the way my chakra runs through your body," Kameyo said as she slowly made Hikari lift her arms. "Feel the way that I control you. I force your own chakra to embed into your very cells and then I control it further, making it force your own body to move as I desire."

Hikari nodded, shutting her eyes and feeling the ebb and flow of what her mother was teaching her. It was like focusing onto a tide pool, feeling the current push and pull. The raw power of this technique sent shivers down Hikari's spine and she was sure that she would never master it to the extent that her mother had, but even just having a fraction of it was enough to be on a whole other level.

"Do not forget that everything has chakra and chakra is in the very air we breathe. When you get a hang for this, an immense power is suddenly at your disposal. This is like a Sage Technique, you can start absorbing natural chakra and then you can convert it into something useful with time," Kameyo said as she switched her stance, moving her hands slowly so that Hikari would feel exactly what she was doing.

Hikari doubted she could ever learn anything so advanced. Sage Techniques? That sounded like something on a whole other level to her.

Kameyo released her hold on Hikari and then stood up straight, cracking her neck as she did so. "You have to find a focus for this. I always used to direct my chakra with my hands. Your teacher, Shiori used her voice. Fu uses her hands as well. What do you use, Hikari?"

Hikari opened her eyes, looking directly at her mother. "I focus on my target with my eyes."

"Ocular precision?" Kameyo asked with a condescending smirk. "I wonder who you must have learned that from."

"I am so sorry that when I trained with Itachi I had to watch his feet very carefully to try and predict his attacks so he wouldn't throw me in a genjutsu," Hikari spit back as she narrowed her eyes into a soft glare. "It's just something that developed for me."

"Well then, try it on me," Kameyo said as she took in a deep breath and held out both of her arms as if to leave herself wide open to any attacks Hikari might throw.

The wind picked up, blowing both of their hair to the side of their heads and sending a chill down their spines. Hikari's skin crawled with goose bumps as she began to focus, watching as red leaves danced with the current in front of her mother's form. She locked onto her then, taking a deep breath before she tried to disperse the chakra she had.

Hikari could feel it seeping out of her body, draining her energy as it went. Her mother had said that with time, she could draw in chakra simultaneously as she released it, but that was too advanced for her. She didn't even know how to take chakra, forget how to draw it from the natural world; Hikari had to work off her own stores.

She could feel it as it seeped into her mother's skin, touching her chakra. She didn't break eye contact as she tried to seize control, just like she would as if she was using blood. However, it was like the chakra was slippery, always escaping her grasp as she tried to hold on.

"You have to try harder," Kameyo hissed as she easily moved her limbs of her own accord, just to taunt Hikari. "You have to _force_ me to bend to _your_ will."

"I am trying!" Hikari said through her teeth as her eyes filled with the intensity she was feeling inside of her gut.

"Not hard enough!" Kameyo spat back as she fought against her daughter. "Do you honestly think a shinobi is going to roll over and become your prey!? You must fight!"

"I am fighting!" Hikari practically screamed as she broke her eye-contact by squeezing her eyes shut. She cried out in frustration, gripping her hair in her fists as the connection snapped, ending like she had never had a foot hold in the first place.

"You haven't fought in three years." Her mother panted, looking at Hikari with hostile eyes. "You're weak."

"I am not weak!" Hikari yelled as her entire body clenched and shook.

"You're a pathetic!" Kameyo yelled in return, her eyes sending daggers. "Hopeless."

"I AM NOT!" Hikari screamed as she looked directly at her mother, letting everything explode from her body all at once. "Just fuck off, you BITCH!"

The fury of her chakra hit Kameyo like a tsunami, compelling her to step back and hold up her hands as it washed over her. Hikari was like a force she had never felt, her energy feeding purely off of her anger as it attached to every cell in Kameyo's body; she felt as if a thousand tiny razors were shredding away her strength and will. Hikari flung her hand out and Kameyo went flying to the side, slamming into a tree and cracking three ribs from the impact alone.

Kameyo fell onto her hands and coughed up blood, wincing as it splattered onto the ground; one of her ribs had punctured her lung when she had hit the tree. She panted as she looked up at her daughter, her own violet eyes clashing with Hikari's aubergine ones. Silence settled between then as the wind picked up once more, blowing Hikari's hair violently around her head.

With intense and furious eyes, Hikari took in a deep breath as she tried to calm herself and then looked directly at Kameyo once more. "I am not weak…"

**Chapter End Notes:**  
>Well, that was interesting. Please review just to let me know what you guys think thus far. =3<p> 


	98. The Ninety-Eighth Passage

_**The Ninety-Eighth Passage:**_

Hikari sighed as she paced back in forth in the cave they had been calling home, tapping Kuraiho's back gently as she held him against her shoulder. She frowned as he continued to cry, tears leaking from his wide violet eyes as his cheeks continued to redden. She shushed lightly, talking to him in whispers to try and comfort him but nothing worked.

"Have you fed him?" Fu asked as she watched Hikari with sympathetic eyes.

"Yes," Hikari answered as she looked towards the older woman with desperate eyes. "I don't know what to do. He doesn't need food or a change, he isn't sleepy or lonely, and he isn't burping. I just can't figure it out."

Kuraiho continued to scream and Hikari felt awful. It wasn't affecting her so negatively because he was annoying her by his squalling, but because her heart strained to hear his sorrow so confrontationally. This was her baby boy and he was upset and she didn't know how to fix it.

"I should know what to do!" Hikari said in frustration as her eyes began to blotch with her own tears. "For fuck's sake, I am his mother, Fu!"

"Calm down," Fu said as she stood and walked towards Hikari, taking the baby from her shoulder and held him in her arms. "It's a little cold out and maybe he's colically. Sometimes babies get like this, you will figure it out."

Hikari sighed and wiped her tears on her sleeve as Fu grabbed one of the jackets she had washed in the river outside and bundled him inside of it. He continued to cry as she talked to him, smiling despite his misery. Hikari took in a deep breath and walked towards her, looking down at her son.

"Maybe I should just hold him so he knows I am here for him?" Hikari asked as she looked at his small fingers.

"Are you sure?" Fu asked as she looked up from his puffy eyes. "You should consider a break."

"No, if something happens to me later I don't want to neglect him now," Hikari said sternly as she held out her hands. Fu put the baby in her arms carefully and Hikari found somewhere to sit with him. Fu sat down next to her on the stone slab that was roughly even on its surface. "Where is my own mother anyways?" Hikari asked with irritation. "She could probably help with this."

"I'd be weary of her if I were you," Fu said quietly as she looked into Hikari's eyes. "She won't touch Kuraiho and she always gets this look of shame when she sees him. I would be careful."

Hikari nodded as she smiled at Kuraiho, wiping his tears away gently with her thumb. He continued to cry, but she just tried to deal with it while she attempted to make him happy. She brushed her fingers through his hair, trying her best to let an infant to know she was there for him, that she loved him.

"I am always weary of my mother," Hikari spoke up as she looked around the cave. She didn't particularly like being in a cave that had so many pointed stalactites hanging above them, but she knew there wasn't a much better place to hide. The world outside was war-ridden.

Fu nodded her head, making her long silver hair fall around her shoulders with the movement. She was rather fair and petite for being such a strong woman and Hikari thought she understood why Daisuke had loved her. She had this sense about her that she was unbreakable.

"Can I ask you something?" Hikari wondered as she tried bouncing Kuraiho very lightly.

"Shoot," Fu said as she smiled down at Kuraiho, touching his hands and trying to make goofy faces to stop his crying.

"How did you meet Daisuke?"

Fu sighed as she looked away the baby and at Kuraiho. Hikari thought that she wouldn't say anything because she took so long to speak. She wasn't sure if Fu was trying to think of what to tell her, or if she was trying to rearrange the story so she could actually talk about him without breaking down into tears. Hikari understood that, she still felt like crying when she thought of Itachi and it was so hard to talk about him, especially with Sasuke.

"He looks a lot like Daisuke," she said as she looked back at the baby, "Kuraiho does."

Hikari nodded, instantly knowing what Fu meant by her statement. Daisuke had unruly hair too and the same colour of eyes Hikari had, which Kuraiho had inherited. Maybe that's why Fu loved to hold Kuraiho close because maybe a small part of her felt like she had a piece of Daisuke back through him. Hikari didn't mind her feeling that that, despite her initial reaction to the thought, because she had partly cause the separation of Fu and Daisuke.

"You look like him too, a lot," Fu said with a smile, "I remember the first time he showed me a picture of you. It was just before your final in the Chuunin exams. I actually came to watch you, but I kept my distance because I knew what he didn't want to admit. I knew you were born out of rape and you probably couldn't have handled much more strain from new family."

"You knew?" Hikari asked with surprise as she widened her eyes. "But I lied about my age. I made it seem like it was impossible."

"I could see it in your eyes," Fu said with a shrug. "I was born into an abusive home too…I saw a lot of myself in you that day, the same kind desperation to prove that you're worth_ something_. I was the same way…"

"So your mother was raped too?" Hikari asked as she tilted her head.

"Oh god no," Fu said as she shook her head. "When I say abusive, I meant that my parents didn't give a fuck about me as their child. When they realised my talents, I was a way to become rich." Fu sighed as she closed her eyes. "I didn't realise it at the time. I loved my father; he was always spending time with me and pushing me to do better. I always wanted to show him how good I was and how I could do better. I always wanted to make him so proud. I didn't know he spent so much time with me because he promised certain people that I could bring their loved ones back to life."

"That's horrible," Hikari said with distaste as she looked down at Kuraiho. She smiled to see that he had finally calmed down and his eyes were shut as he began to dose off.

"Yeah, that was how I met Daisuke…his family was under the impression I might have been able to locate Shizuka's soul if she had died," Fu said with a shrug. "It broke my heart to tell them that I don't speak to the dead or do ghostly reunions. I can just pull the soul from a person's body if I so wished."

"But couldn't you technically be able to put a soul back in its body?" Hikari asked with a raised brow, "or a new one?"

"Well yes, but it's hard to explain to people that all we are is vessels of chakra and that chakra eventually fades naturally," Fu said as she looked at Kuraiho. "Once a person is dead, they usually stay dead. Even the Impure World jutsu goes beyond my specialities."

Hikari stared towards the entrance of the cave, chewing on her lip. Fu sounded like she had a complicated life and parents who weren't very good to her. Hikari couldn't even imagine he parents trying to sell her talents. Her aubergine eyes trailed back to Fu and she took a good look at her face. She suddenly felt sick knowing that what must have made Fu's life worth living for was the fact that she had met Daisuke and Hikari had inadvertently taken that away from her.

"Daisuke and I got close after that, running into each other here or there and then a romance blossomed. We had only been engaged for a few months when Asami asked him to come to Konoha to meet you, and who was I to ask him to stay?" Fu's words crossed Hikari as bitter, so very bitter. "I wanted to so badly…I just wish…" Fu took in a deep breath and then closed her eyes. "I knew whatever Asami needed was probably pretty grand if she called her brother to come and help her, so I smiled and said my goodbyes."

Hikari averted her eyes to the floor. She didn't know what to say, knowing that she loved every second she spent with Daisuke. He was the family she never had and his affection had meant so much to her. He had left his fiancé behind and his life just to help his family. It spoke volumes about his character; family really had meant everything to him.

"He wanted me to meet you," Fu said with a smile, "so I came back with him during the exams, but like I said before I choose to keep my distance and asked him not to talk about me. I didn't want you to feel like you were robbing him from anyone because I understood you needed him more than I did back then, so I stayed away and kept my silence."

Fu turned her body to face Hikari fully and she knew Hikari felt shame for everything that had happened. However, now that Fu was rational, she could not blame the actions of a mind-controlled imbalanced teenager on his former teammate. Fu could even see it now, Hikari had deeply loved and treasured Daisuke from the moment she met him because he was the only real family she had ever known.

"It wasn't your fault," Fu said firmly to Hikari. "What happened to him was nothing you could have controlled and I am sorry that I lashed out on you about it. Losing him was so hard on me…as I imagine that losing Itachi was hard on you."

Hikari looked up at her as tears began to form in her eyes. "I miss him, Fu. I saw Daisuke back in the Koizumi village when I first ran my father and he recognised me. He tried to talk to me and if I had let him known it was me, he might not be dead." Hikari bit her lip, trying to stop her tears. "Why is it the best people are the ones who get taken from us?"

"I don't know," Fu said with a sigh. "But one thing I do know is that I didn't tell you all that for nothing."

Hikari looked towards her as she lifted her hand, carefully supporting her sleeping son against her collarbone, and wiped her tears. She hadn't had time to think about Daisuke, but now that she did, she hated that he was gone. He had been such a good person and a part of her knew she would never be able to forgive Sora for what he did to Fu or Daisuke; she didn't care how supposedly mind-controlled he was.

"I don't want you to go out there with your mother, Hikari," Fu said as she crossed her arms, "because I would never be able to forgive you if you left Kuraiho to grow up like you did…with just an aunt to raise him while the rest of his family is either evil or dead."

Hikari nodded, hearing her say everything she had been thinking lately. "I don't want to go…I can't."

"That's why I am going to go for you," Fu said sternly. "I never revealed myself to you before, but it's time that I start acting like the family you need." Hikari widened her eyes as she looked at Fu. "Hikari I am going to get that scroll for you."


	99. The Ninety-Ninth Passage

**Author's Chapter Notes:**  
>Is anyone actually still reading this story? o.o<p><em><strong><span>The Ninety-Ninth Passage:<span>**_

Hikari closed her eyes and exhaled, driving all the air from her lungs as she tried to completely rid her mind of any thoughts. When she inhaled, she opened them again, staring determinedly at the deer that stood elegantly on the other side of the field. She began to creep along the treeline, staying downwind so it wouldn't catch her scent as she tried to get closer. She never let her violet eyes stray from its form as she went; she fixated on it like nothing else existed in the entire world but it and her.

Very slowly she let a fixed amount of her chakra leak from her body and sent it hovering towards the majestic creature. She tried her hardest to disperse it evenly so that it didn't disrupt the natural feeling of the world around the deer; animals had keener senses to change than people did and she didn't want it to sense her chakra coming for it. She watched it intensely as her chakra ebbed closer, surrounding the beast like a thin veil of mist.

She clasped it together all at once, forcing her chakra into every entry point she could attack on its body. She stood quiet for a moment, unsure if it had worked. She took a deep breath and then tentatively raised her hand up as she watched the deer move forwards on her command. A smile broke out onto her lips as she gazed at the deer, reveling in the first time she had caught something alive while trying to consciously use the technique.

"I did it!" Hikari shouted to herself happily, but before she could get comfortable in her victory, the connection snapped the deer bolted for the brush. "Oh, no, come on!" she yelled as she watched it go with a frown. "Come back! I won't eat you, I swear!"

It was too late, the moment she had lost her concentration was the moment she lost her practicing dummy. She wanted to swear, but managed to bite down the words. With a sigh she stood to her full height and then turned around, beginning the trek back to the cave she had been staying in with Fu. She didn't feel up to hunting down another animal and trying again because the exercise had drained enough of her chakra to make her weary about using it recklessly. She might need it in case they were attacked and she didn't want to tempt fate by being exhausted when it happened.

Suigetsu had left with Jugo the day before to go meet Orochimaru and her mother had still not returned. Hikari was beginning to grow worried for Kameyo, but there was nothing she could do to find her. For now, it was just her, Kuraiho, and Fu. She liked that almost as much as it frightened her. It was up to both of them to protect Kuraiho and she felt like two was an awfully small number for the dangers that lay all around them. There was a war going on and an enemy platoon could stumble across them at any time, and it could be either side to attack. The shinobi world didn't make many distinguishments with her anymore. She was carrying the child of Sasuke Uchiha, a bargaining chip immensely important to both sides. But just like the issue with her mother, there was not much she could do about it. Fu and her had tried their best to fortify the cave and then leaved the rest to luck.

Eventually it would be just her and Kuraiho when Fu decided to depart to try and help get the scroll from Madara, but the time that came to pass, Hikari had decided that she would be long gone from this place. She would travel back to Konoha with her son in her arms. If Sasuke and everyone else survived the war, they would know where to look for her and Kuraiho would be safe.

With the thoughts of the war and Fu's oath to get the scroll, she thought of Madara…or whoever it was that had made the deal with her, because according to Suigetsu and Jugo it apparently was not Madara who had been deceiving her for the past two years. Something about that made Hikari immensely angry. It was bad enough that she had so stupidly thrown her freedom away, but the fact that it wasn't even who she thought it was that she had given it to made her feel even worse. She wasn't even aware of who her captor was, just that they had power over her that could threaten the lives of many, including her own son. Hikari was determined to stay as far away as possible.

Hikari sighed and closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh air. She put her hand to her abdomen, something she had become so accustomed to doing when she was pregnant to Kuraiho, and felt that she had really slimmed down, losing her stomach that she had gained from her pregnancy thanks to her mother. She wasn't sure losing all of that weight was healthy, but then again, she didn't have much of a choice. She would need new clothes now that the swelling had gone down because everything she wore was too large for her.

"Hikari? Is that you?" she was knocked out of her thoughts when she looked up at the cave entrance to see Fu.

"Hey," Hikari said with a smile as she approached the kunoichi. "How is he?"

"Hungry," Fu said with a grin as she lifted her arms and showed Hikari her son.

Hikari smiled at him and took him from her arms, lifting him to her shoulder and supporting his head with her free hand. "I will feed him inside," she said as she passed Fu and tossed her braided hair over her shoulder so it hung down her back.

"A Koizumi passed by earlier on Kameyo's orders," Fu said as she turned around. "They brought clothes for you…armoured ones. It's apparent she wants you to fight with her."

Hikari sighed and nodded as she found a seat in an area that she felt was less dangerous; she really hated the idea of a stalactite hanging over her son's head. She knew that the cave offered the most protection though as compared to the outside world. She knew that were a distance from the battlefield, but she also knew that anything could happen in such risky environments.

"I think I will head out in a few days," Fu said as Hikari began to feed Kuraiho. Hikari looked up into her eyes and nodded. "I would head for Konoha. It's being rebuilt, no one would think to look for you there."

"That's what I was thinking," Hikari said as she looked back down at her son. "Sasuke will know where I went…that is, if he survives."

Fu turned away from her and looked towards the entrance, crossing her arms. "You shouldn't talk like that," she whispered quietly. "He's strong."

Hikari sighed as she looked towards Fu again. She knew she was right, Sasuke was strong, but she was worried about who might be stronger. Sasuke had struggled against the Raikage and he was most likely caught up in the war, and then there was Gaara too, a previous Jinchuuriki. Sasuke had done so much to make enemies and so very little to make friends. The only person who probably cared for him on that field was Naruto.

"I know…" she said quietly, "but I worry about him…always have." Hikari laughed to herself, shaking her head as she looked down at her son. "Old habits die hard, right?"

"Right…"

…

"Are you sure it's safe to take him out there?" Fu asked with a raised brow. "I know you're the one to usually worry about him…but still."

Hikari nodded as she finished putting on her new clothes, smoothing them down against her body. "It's just for a couple minutes so he gets to know what the sun is like…I don't like him being completely shrouded all the time. It makes me nervous."

"I think you're being too philosophical," Fu said with a crooked grin, "but fine! Do what you will. I can hear if anything goes wrong anyways."

"I'll be right outside," Hikari said with a reassuring smile. "I just want a few moments with him out there where it's not so depressing."

Hikari hugged Kuraiho to her shoulder as she walked towards the day, yawning from the nap she had awoken from. Hikari did her best to protect his eyes, but she knew there was only so much she could do. He didn't seem that bothered because his gaze traveled around in wonder, watching and taking in the world around him. She walked to the small clearing off the side of the cave and then sat down against a tree. She held him in her arms, supporting his head with the inside of her elbow as she looked into the sky and watched the clouds roll.

It was a nice day, but it didn't feel that way for Hikari when she knew her friends were off getting killed somewhere under the same sky. She bit her lip and then looked down at Kuraiho, smiling for him as he watched her face. He smiled in return, his eyes lighting up and bringing a small amount of hope to Hikari's heart; he was so sweet and innocent. But then again, Madara Uchiha had once been a child in his mother's arms too. Hikari knew Kuraiho was better than that though, she had no proof, but she just knew.

Hikari's body went rigid when she heard a twig snap. She held her breath and her heart immediately began to beat faster as her anxiety shot up. She heard voices, but her mind was in too much a scrabble to even attempt to discern their speakers. Hikari heard them come closer and she immediately covered her mouth with her free hand to silence her unsteady breathing. She tried to look out of her peripheral vision, but could not see them, but she knew they were close because she could hear their footsteps. She supressed her chakra to the best degree that she could, but with how much her mother had her practicing lately she wasn't accustomed to how much she actually had.

Several moments passed and just when she began to feel like they might not discover her location, she heard one of them say, "wait, I sense a couple of faint chakra signatures." Hikari began to panic but still did everything in her power not to make a sound.

"Where are they coming from?"

"Not sure…" Hikari strained to hear as the male took a pause. "There seems to be something distorting it…. I am not that good of a sensory type, besides, the war isn't that far away. Maybe it's throwing me off."

"Come on then, we have to keep looking. They're not here."

Hikari relaxed as she closed her eyes and let her head hit the tree-bark. That situation had been entirely too close for comfort. They would have never found her in the cave because someone had put a barrier jutsu on it, hiding their chakra. Maybe she should have listened to Fu.

Hikari let the rest of her tension go, but then immediately stiffened again when Kuraiho giggled in her arms. Her eyes went wide as she looked down at him with alarm. She heard the footsteps immediately and then froze when she saw someone walk around the tree. Her eyes connected to his sky-blue ones and she was on her feet in seconds, her hand outstretched in front of her as she did everything in her power to just _hold_ him there with her chakra.

She was surprised to feel her own body freeze too as her feet became rooted and unable to move. She looked up at him with widened eyes, straight at his inky hair that fell around his head in bluish-black tousled locks. She swallowed her fear whole, her mind immediately panicking.

"Whoa, Hikari," Sora said gently. "I am not here to hurt you."

When she didn't answer, he tried to move his head but then remembered that she had rooted them both to their respective spots. "Uh…I could use little help here."

A long silence settled between them and Hikari could feel her chakra seeping away; she wouldn't last very long trying to hold a real person in place. She had to think of something to do when Sora broke free. Saving Kuraiho from the deranged lunatic in front of her was all that mattered.

Hikari snapped out of her trance-like staring at Sora when Hoshi came into her field of view. Immediately, upon the sight of her, he rushed towards her and pulled her into am embrace. She stood still and completely stiff, clutching Kuraiho to her body as he pulled away from her and held her at arm's length.

"You're okay," he said as he looked at her with worry in his eyes. He sounded so relieved, like he had wondered for a long time about her safety. He sounded like a thousand regrets had been lifted from his shoulder. "The last time I saw you, I left you limp in Itachi Uchiha's arms…"

She took in a deep breath, trying to keep her concentration, but her chakra snapped. It was as if a taunt rope had been connecting her and Sora. All of a sudden it began to fray until it eventually snapped. She watched as her control slipped through her fingers. There was nothing left to keep him bound and he was free to rampage like some psycho.

She felt so exhausted that her knees shook and her arms felt numb, but maybe it was her fear too. Before she could fall she steadied herself by holding onto Hoshi's shoulder and then gripping Kuraiho tightly in her other arm. She just hoped she wouldn't collapse, but she didn't exactly feel like she could stand either.

She thought better of endangering her son and then looked at Hoshi with fierce eyes. "T-Take him Hoshi," she said sternly, "before I fall over."

Hoshi only seemed to notice the baby in her arms when she gestured him towards Kuraiho. His eyes widened and he jerked into action, taking the child in his one arm and then supporting her with the other as he wrapped it around her back and under her arm. Hoshi looked towards his brother with a questioning brow raised and Sora looked down at his hands. After a moment he took a deep breath and then looked towards Hikari with piercing eyes like the colour of the sky.

"What did you do?" he asked as he approached her.

Her eyes shot open from half-lidded and she glared at him. "Stay back!" she shouted as she tried to lift her hands into a fighting stance, but she felt so drained that they just fell limp to her sides.

Sora's eyes trailed to Kuraiho and then they widened as they shifted back to Hikari. "Is he?"

"Stay away from him!" she shouted as she began to quiver in anger. "Stay away from my son or I will tear every piece of flesh from your disgusting body!"

"…Hikari," he said as he looked towards her with confused eyes. "Please."

She tore away from Hoshi and then steadied herself, not allowing her feet to give out from under her. Before she could get to him, she saw a flash on silver and then he was no longer in front of her. She looked towards the ground to see Fu on top of him, on hand clutching his throat and another holding a kunai to the sensitive flesh there as she looked at him with livid eyes wild and alive with rage.

"How dare you?" she yelled loudly as she stared into his eyes. Hikari could see that Sora's neck was turning bright red from her grip and her fingers were beginning to turn white.

Hoshi's eyes widened. "Hikari! Do something!"

Hikari looked back to Hoshi, but before she could give him a piece of her mind someone came out from the treeline running and collided with Fu at full speed. Fu gasped as she flew through the air and then hit the ground, rolling. Her kunai sailed through the air and then landed blade-first in the dirt.

Asami brushed herself off and then looked towards Fu with widened eyes. She held up her hands as if to defuse the situation. "Now if we could all…calm down."

Hikari was livid as she approached Hoshi, her fists clenched. She took her son despite feel so weak and then held out her hand. "Give me a food pill, now."

Hoshi nodded as he looked at her with widened eyes. "Ah…right." He reached into his bag and then gave her one of the many he always carried and she popped it into her mouth even though the taste was disgusting.

She turned back to Asami and then glared as she brought her son to her shoulder, making sure he couldn't see Sora. Instead his curious purple eyes landed on Hoshi, and he smiled at him, showing him his gums. Hoshi smiled back, seeing so much of Hikari in him that he knew there was no way he wasn't her son.

"Asami what are you thinking?" Fu fumed as she slowly stood to her feet. Her light purple eyes were highlighted with anger so fierce Hikari could feel it seeping from her body. "WHY WOULD YOU BRING HIM HERE?"

Asami frowned as she looked at Sora and then back at Fu. "I know this must be hard, Fu…but please-"

"HARD?" Fu began to walk towards Asami threateningly, her steps reflecting her malice. "HARD ON ME? HE KILLED MY HUSBAND! HE KILLED MY UNBORN CHILD."

Sora began to breathe heavily from the ground as his eyes widened. "I did…what?"

"Hoshi," Asami commanded as she held out her hand towards Sora while holding out the other towards Fu, as if it would stop the other Kunoichi who was snarling more like an animal than a human. Hoshi rushed towards his brother and began to speak very lightly to him.

Asami looked back towards Fu and tried to reason with her through her eyes. "Fu…please give me a chance to explain. For my brother…for Daisuke."

Tears began to leak from Fu's eyes as she began to pant. "…for Daisuke?" she asked so quietly that Hikari had to strain her ears to hear her. Fu's eyes connected with Asami's once again and her malice was clear. Her hand snapped for her kunai pouch, but before she could draw a new blade Asami jerked into action and pounced towards the other Kunoichi.

The fighting all around Hikari was evident then. Sora was struggling in his brother's arms, his eyes wide as he panicked. Fu and Asami exchanged fierce blows, Fu wild with emotion and Asami deadly calm. Hikari swallowed as she looked between then all and then held Kuraiho a little closer.

She threw her hand forwards and just focused on making a blast to separate everyone. The grass began to part as her chakra jutted through it and between the group. Just as if an explosion had detonated, her chakra whipped out into every direction and sent the four of them flying in separate directions.

Hikari felt the impact of her chakra leaving her immediately and held herself against the tree next to her for support. All of them looked towards her with widened eyes as she breathed heavily. Her aubergine gaze traveled from each and every one of their faces and she took in one last long inhale of air.


	100. The One-Hundredth Passage

_**The One-Hundredth Passage:**_

Kameyo sighed as she closed her eyes and reminisced. She had lived through exactly eighteen human life-times, full to the brim of memories, experiences, and emotions. She found it an oddity that she had a hard time picturing more than just one of the fathers she remembered from her past lives. She could have had a thousand, but their faces would always reflect Kenji Koizumi. It didn't really surprise her the more that she thought about it, after all people did say that bad memories stood out more than good ones. But maybe it was something more than that. Maybe there was a reason she always thought of Kenji's cruelty.

Kameyo often caught herself thinking about that lifetime…obsessing over it. That was the life she had met Madara Uchiha and even a hundred years later she could never forget about the affect he had on her. Whenever he looked at her with his piercing and knowing gaze, her heart left her chest in a scatter of butterflies. It never came back down from the skies until he was gone and then she would feel empty. She had never felt that way since about any man. She had often found herself wishing that she could just go back and be with him, and yet, it didn't seem to matter anymore because he was alive again…and he had tried to kill her.

The memory of his blade in her chest sent shocks pain to the place where he had run her through. She rubbed the place above her heart as if a scar was there. Every feeling was fresh, every millisecond etched into her memories like they had been carved into stone. But what stood out to her the most was the way he had spoken so softly to her just before she had fallen.

_If you are Kameyo, we shall meet again…_

Why hadn't he believed it was her? Why hadn't he sensed her love for him? Why didn't the mark of Loyalty work? Why didn't he _know_?

She had always thought love was stronger than that. She had known it was him from the moment her eyes landed on him. She felt it deep inside as her heart ached so badly that she was sure that it was withering inside her chest.

"I…" she paused as she looked down at her gloved hands.

Kameyo closed her eyes and could see him kissing every inch of her skin. It was like he was in front of her; she could feel ghostly fingers made of the breeze kissing her flesh. If she dug deep enough, she knew she the memory of him taking her for his own would return to her so vividly that it would feel like it was occurring right then and there.

She opened her heavy-lidded eyes and then lifted them to the sky, watching the horizon from the cliff-side she sat on. Birds flew and trees blew lightly in the wind. The scenery had changed through her many life times, but nothing felt any different. She sighed as she casted her eyes down to her feet.

"I still love him…" She stood and then tightened her hands into fists as she narrowed her eyes at the tree line in the distance. "You were right, we shall meet again, but this time it will be on the battlefield as equals. If I am going to do this…I have to let you go."

…

"Hikari, you have to understand that he wasn't himself," Hoshi said in an urgent tone as he walked towards the cave with her, following just a step or two behind as he tried to reason with her. So far she wouldn't budge, she was mad and she wanted to stay mad. He remembered this behavior from Konoha, it was the shell she curled up in to protect herself from getting hurt. This was her defence mechanism; if she never forgave Sora for his treachery, she wouldn't have to ever feel it again.

Hoshi made his voice softer in an attempt to break through her wall. Hikari needed to be brought down slowly, raised voices never worked with her. He had to be calm and reasonable. "It wasn't his fault."

"Do not excuse what he did," Hikari said hostilely as she stopped walking and turned to look at him with a stern gaze behind her set brow. "No matter what the result was, he chose to let that monster into his life. He knew he wasn't offering him anything…decent."

Hoshi sighed as he ran his hands through his shaggy black hair; there was absolutely no way calm and reasonable was going to work when she was being so damn stubborn. She hadn't even learned the reason why they were there, all she was doing was running, like always. He let out a frustrated groan and then showed a type of urgency she had never seen from him before. His eyes opened widely, almost wild-like in their desperation to reach out to her.

He snapped, he couldn't stop himself. Hikari did this same kind of stuff back in Konoha, she caused problems and then didn't want to find a solution unless the person involved was Sasuke. She had always been so closed off and so unwilling to see her part in the troubles of Sora.

"You think this is all about you, don't you?" he spit. "Why don't we really talk about who should take the blame for this for a moment, shall we?"

Hikari shook her head and turned away from him, walking towards the cave again. "Stay away from me and my son. I don't want that raving lunatic anywhere near him."

"How can you be such a hypocrite?!" Hoshi demanded as he continued to follow her. "Sora chose someone dark, but you did too. You are carrying the spawn of a murderer in your arms and ever since you came to Konoha you have only ever affiliated yourself with a clan plagued by evil and violence!"

Hikari stopped walking once again. Her shoulders shook, but she struggled to keep still for Kuraiho's sake. She let out a deep breath and then continued walking into the cave, leaving Hoshi in an uncomfortable silence, left to listen to the steady drip of water off of the stalactites. She put Kuraiho down onto his bed of coats and then covered him with her old shirt; it was probably drenched in her sweat and tears, but there was nothing better for him there.

Hikari turned swiftly and marched back towards Hoshi, her fists curling tighter with every step. "I want you to leave," she spit as her eyes narrowed, "before I do something to hurt all three of you."

"I'm sorry!" he said as he let out an exasperated sigh. "I shouldn't have attacked your child like that. But you're attacking my family…you don't understand what it is like to walk around and know that everyone hates a person who is fundamentally a part of you. Sora wasn't in his right mind when he did all those things, he doesn't even remember!"

"I don't know what it's like?" she asked as she put her hands on her hips and twisted her face to feign surprise. "Wow? Really, it must be something to go through that." Hikari shook her head again as she shifted her weight to one foot, letting one of her hands fall from her hip and then pointed it at her own chest. She let out a little laugh, low and sarcastic. "It's not like I was in love with an S-Ranked criminal or anything! It's not fucking like Sasuke is the FATHER of my child! Stop crying to me and crying about how hard your life is!" she said as she began to shake. She pushed him, lashing out as her tears finally surfaced.

Hoshi took a step back to keep his balance and then looked at her alarmed. He couldn't ever recall Hikari crying, he had always thought she was too tough for that, but there she was in front of him, falling apart. Her tears streamed down her cheeks and he could tell that she was biting her lip in an attempt not to sob.

"Sora killed my uncle, the only family I ever had. He loved me and I never got to say how much that meant to me! I never got to tell him that he was the father I wished I had and I never got to see the smile on his face when he held his child! He won't see me get married, he won't ever meet Kuraiho, and he is gone! Your brother viciously murdered him!"

"Let me talk to her," Asami said as she stepped between them. Hikari shook her head and backed up a step because of their closeness. She hadn't even noticed Asami standing there. She wiped her eyes hastily with her gloved hand, trying to get rid of the physical evidence of her weakness. "You're getting too defensive, Hoshi. We all need to just take this down a level. Fu went to blow off steam and Sora is over there in a state of tears because she explained in graphic detail exactly what he did…"

The area outside the cave was left utterly silent and awkward as they meditated on what she said. Hikari turned her head away from them, frowning as she crushed her lips together so she wouldn't cry again. She held her breath and remained that way, ignoring the both of them.

"I want all three of you gone…" she whispered.

Asami looked towards Hikari and then put her hand on her shoulder. "I think Sora has suffered enough for his crimes, especially since he has blocked out the trauma of remembering them."

"How is that suffering enough?" Hikari asked lowly as she slowly looked up at her former teacher. "A man and an unborn child are dead because of him…does that mean nothing to you? I want him to remember every horrid moment of it."

Asami sighed as she turned to Hikari. She put her free hand on Hikari's free shoulder so she held her still, looking deeply into her violet eyes. "I know this is not going to be easy, but we came here to ask for your help. Let's just get our intentions out and in the open so we are all honest here."

Hikari crossed her arms and then narrowed her eyes. She took a step back so Asami's hands fell from her shoulders and then looked away again. "You can't be serious-"

"Let me finish," Asami interjected as she raised a hand. "I know this team has suffered from the first day it was constructed. We thought this would be a perfect combination, but it's funny how quickly it fell apart; even cell seven lasted longer than you guys." Asami sighed as she shook her head and held her forehead. "Hikari you were only ever interested in trying to appease your father, so you rarely spent time with your teammates. Sora had inappropriate feelings for you and Hoshi hesitated on acting. When Hikari left Konoha it only got worse." Hikari opened her mouth to speak once more, but again Asami cut her off by raising her hand, "**But**, we have to rise above all of that because another member of this squad is in danger."

Hikari closed her mouth, sighing. Fu walked towards them from the woods, her muscles coiled and ready to pounce like that of a panther; Hikari was surprised she was keeping that much composure. She settled herself next to Hikari that way, taunt like a rope being twisted too much. Hikari figured she had probably heard all the commotion and felt like she had to protect the younger Koizumi. It was really a sweet gesture when Fu was in so much pain.

"We haven't received word from Midoriko in a very long time," Asami said as she looked back towards Hoshi, expecting him to explain further.

"Exactly since the time she told Sora she had to complete a secret mission…that was months ago and she left Konoha to do whatever that mission asked," Hoshi said as he averted his eyes to his feet. "It had something to do with the war and we have made no contact with her. People haven't reported seeing her or hearing from her. As of right now, Midoriko Koizumi, your childhood friend and sister in combat is missing in action…"

Hikari looked back at Fu and saw that she had gone white as a sheet. Her eyes were widened and her lips were slightly agape. Hikari hung her head and turned back towards them, knowing the sacrifice she would have to make before she even made the decision. But this was Midoriko, the closest thing she had ever had to a sister and she knew that she would have done the same if their positions were reversed.

"_Please_ Hikari…"

Hikari looked away from her teacher and saw Sora pathetically stumbling out of the clearing. His eyes were puffy and red and she saw something terribly familiar in his facial expression. He looked so pained that it was as if he was close to shattering.

"Please, I love her…" he croaked, his voice cracking. "I just want her to be safe. _Please_."

She knew what it was that she saw now that he had spoken. Sora wore the same expression she had so many times when she saw Sasuke falling into the darkness before her very eyes. She remembered the hopelessness and dread she had felt, weighing down her heart because she knew she couldn't follow him into such chaos. Sora was the same, regretful and self-hating because he had let Midoriko slip through his fingers.

Hikari redirected her eyes towards Asami and then nodded. "I will help."

Her heart twisted inside her chest, painfully writhing as if someone had stabbed her there and twisted the blade. She would have to leave Kuraiho behind with Fu, there was no other choice. She was turning into her very mother before her eyes, abandoning her son. It was so wrong, but she knew Kuraiho would be safe. The difference between Hikari and her mother was that she would return to her son; she would come back to him with his father following behind.

She couldn't leave Midoriko out there alone, not when Midoriko would risk everything to do the same for her. They had known each other since they were children and Hikari knew at this point she was one of the only people Midoriko had. She frowned and then looked back at Fu; she could tell by the expression on her face that the silver-haired woman knew.

"I will take care of him," she said quietly. "I will bring him to one of the Koizumi villages your mother didn't empty out, the one on the outskirts of the Land of Fire. I swear I will protect your son with my life, Hikari."


	101. The One Hundred and First Passage

**Author's Chapter Notes:**  
>Okay, I know I suck. It has been six months since I updated and frankly I am still stuck. I finally kind of have a path to finally begin writing into the War arc and I am sorry my hiatus took up most of my summer. I don't have much time left to update regularly. I am going to try to update a least once a month from now on though. That seems like a reasonable pace because how much plot I have to work with right now; I am literally distraught that I can't just finish this story off. :(<p><strong><em>The One Hundred and First Passage:<em>**

While Hikari talked with her old team, planning their course of actions, Fu went back inside the cave they had been staying in. She couldn't be around Sora, because every muscle in her body was just twitching to kill him; she might just lose control. She had to be strong and even if it took isolation to continue to help Hikari, she would do it.

Fu paced back and forth, wondering how she was going to tell Hikari that she had known about what had befallen Midoriko the entire time they had been together and had not said a word. She pushed her hands through her silver hair, sighing as she looked at the ground. With an angry yell, she kicked the rock near her feet, watching as it flew to the other side of the cave and shattered against the wall.

She slumped down, holding her face in her hands as she leaned against the jagged stones behind her. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, knowing there was no easy way to reveal to Hikari that her mother had killed her best friend. Fu was regretful that she had to do this after she and Hikari had become so close.

"I have never seen you so upset about Hikari's wellbeing before…"

Fu bolted up, looking around in alarm. Her eyes widened when she saw Hikari's mother step forwards from the shadows, like a lurking predator revealing itself to the prey it had been stalking. Fu pressed her lips into a line, showing her anger with the woman through her eyes.

"You can go out there and tell Hikari what you did to Midoriko," Fu said harshly.

"Now, why would I do that?" Kameyo whispered in return, gesturing with her finger that Fu should also keep her voice down. "I need Hikari to look for her friend."

Before Fu could try and resist, Kameyo's energy was on her, choking her as it wrapped itself around her body like a snake. The First Koizumi's chakra was invading her and there was nothing she could have done to stop it, even she was not strong enough to throw Kameyo off. She felt her energy possess her body fully as it jabbed and prodded her mind. When Kameyo finally broke Fu, she was in control.

"Now go say your goodbyes and wish my daughter and safe journey," Kameyo said quietly as she walked to a shadowed rock and sat herself on it gracefully, "and then bring me her son."

…

"Hikari?"

She looked to her side, watching Hoshi carefully. Despite the fact that he was one of the only people she felt she could trust from Konoha, she was beginning to feel that familiarity shattering. In truth, she hadn't seen any of these people in three years and she had no idea who they were or what their true motivations were anymore. The thought made something deep inside of her sink; she could see it inside her mind, a picture of the four of them from three years ago tearing apart until they had all drifted far away from each other.

Hikari looked away from Hoshi, refocusing her violet eyes on the tree branches she jumped to and from. It was easier to ignore the feeling of regret in the pit of her stomach if she wasn't looking at him. Hikari found herself wondering what it would have been like, staying in Konoha and remaining in the Sixth Squad. She had to remind herself that none of that mattered anymore; she had made her choices. She knew that these people she had re-affiliated herself with truly did not care about her son or her wellbeing; they were there to rescue the missing member of their squad.

Hikari bit her lip when she realised how truly sad she was that Midoriko had replaced her for them. As soon as they found her, they would go their separate ways again and Hikari would be left to drift in the abyss of uncertainty. She would linger there until whatever decision Sasuke made for them both cleared her path.

"Look, Hikari, I have wanted to say this to you for a long time," Hoshi began quietly as he looked ahead of himself. "I'm sorry you had to go back to your father."

Her eyes widened a little and she began to feel uncomfortable with the sudden topic he had brought up. She hated talking about Orochimaru, especially since he lurked somewhere in the world, waiting to make his move and ruin her life again. It pissed her off that she thought she had rid herself of him and now he was back and as unpredictable as ever.

Hikari pressed her lips into a tight line, feeling her jaw tense. She didn't know why leaving Konoha was such a touchy subject for her, especially when it came to the people she used to know from there talking about it, but she just knew that she got so angry whenever somebody did. She supposed she was tired of feeling the guilt of leaving behind her only family, especially Daisuke; she should have spent more time with him.

"Maybe if we had been there, you might have stayed."

Hikari stopped moving and then rooted herself to the tree she stood on. Hoshi skidded to a stop, but ultimately had to land on the next branch beyond the one she had chosen. The others stopped themselves on an assortment of different limbs behind them.

"There is nothing you could have done that would have made me stay there," Hikari said as she crossed her arms. "Sooner or later, my identity would have been found out and it wouldn't have mattered if I was a good person."

"I would have stood up for you," Sora admitted from behind her. "I would have thrown my life away for you, Hikari…you must know that by now."

Hikari lowered her eyes to the bark of the trees, studying it instead of looking at the people who were choosing the strangest of times to confront her about her decisions. She remained quiet as she looked at the green leaves and the foliage below them, not really knowing what to say to them. Her mind began to dwell on the past; images of her father, the Akatsuki, Itachi, and Sasuke began to rush through her mind. She took in a deep breath and then swallowed.

"I am not a good person," she said quietly as she continued to look at the branch she stood on. "I have done evil things for evil people."

"That is not true," Asami said as she jumped in front of Hikari. She stood there, her blue eyes staring into Hikari's aubergine ones. "Daisuke believed in you."

"And he is dead," Hikari reminded her in a hiss. "I left because none of you were good enough, don't you get that?"

"I don't believe that," Sora said as he jumped towards her. "You left because it was easier than facing us with the truth. You didn't want to face that you were hurt by an asshole."

Hikari shifted uncomfortably, feeling the urge to look away wash over her. She didn't want to deal with any of their assumptions. She had truly changed since Konoha and they had no idea what she had gone through to survive. They certainly didn't know anything about how much Sasuke had truly hurt her; she wasn't sure she could ever recover from it.

"Don't act like you know me," Hikari said as she crossed her arms and turned away from him. "Only what I say matters seeing as it only involved myself; I know why I left Konoha and frankly I am glad I did. I have learned a lot on my own out here."

"You don't have to lie to us," Hoshi said sadly. "That wall you put in front of yourself has never worked on us before…why would it start to now that your pain and suffering is so obvious?"

"I am not weak," Hikari snapped as her eyes alit with vivid anger and fire. "I am not in pain or suffering. I am stronger than any of you put together and I won't break!"

"I never said you were weak," he said as he shook his head, "but Hikari, even you can only bear so much before you break. Don't you think you should do what is good for you? Come back with us…bring your son and just forget about Sasuke."

"I don't think I could forget him even if I wanted to," Hikari said a she crossed her arms and frowned. "I have shared a bond with him since the moment he was born and Uchiha and I was born a Koizumi. I can't just leave him to suffer and die alone, not after everything that Konoha has done to him."

"Maybe it is not your job to repair what you didn't break," Asami said as she looked at Hikari sadly.

"If I don't help Sasuke and remain by his side, fighting for him and helping him in any way that I can, than who will?" she asked defensively. "No one but Naruto and that is not enough!" Hikari shook her head and looked away from them. She bit her lip and then closed her eyes, trying to tap into some kind of emotional strength but her reserve had gone dry. She continued to dig for it anyways. "You don't get it at all. Sasuke is the father of my son and I am not going to allow anything to happen to him. I promised I would help him, even if it is the last thing I do. Does love mean so little to you, Hoshi? Would you not try to save Tenten even if it destroyed you?"

"It's not the same, Hikari," Hoshi said as he looked at her seriously. "Tenten doesn't try to hurt me."

Hikari took off abruptly, launching herself from the tree branch and then landing in another. "I didn't come with you to debate my decisions and who I chose to care about. I came to find Midoriko. Let's go."

…

Fu felt her body moving on its own and she fought the invasion of chakra with every cell in her being. She picked up Kuraiho and then slowly walked back towards where Hikari's mother waited. It was no use, not matter how hard she tried she could not win. She had to plan and she had to think fast. Kameyo was going to throw herself into Kuraiho's body and she had to stop it.

She hoped that Kuraiho would have no memory of this because she was playing a gamble with his life. Fu had no other choice, but she hoped that during the time between when Hikari's mother left her body and when she tried to enter the child's, Kameyo would lose control. Hopefully she would just have enough time to try to divert her soul's path with the use of her chakra.

"Thank you, Fu," Kameyo said quietly as she eyed the boy thoughtfully.

"How do you even know it will work...?" Fu asked as she frowned. "He's a boy and you're risking everything with Hikari to have his powers."

Kameyo looked up at Fu with focused eyes. She peered at Fu with an expression she couldn't quite understand. After a long moment she looked back at Kuraiho who slept peacefully in Fu's arms.

"It's true that I have never tried to inhabit a male before," Kameyo uttered as she placed her hands behind her back. "But I must try for the good of our clan. He is the child of prophecy, the child that will join the Koizumi and Uchiha forever."

"There are no more Uchiha!" Fu yelled out as her eyes alit with anger. "You're killing an innocent boy over some prophecy that means nothing anymore!"

"You're right, but this boy is the beginning to a new clan that will be created by Hikari and Sasuke," she said as she narrowed her eyes. "And I will lead that clan."

"Two Kekki Genkai cannot mix like that!" Fu said as she twisted her brow and shook her head. The more that she listened to her plans, the clearer it became that Kameyo was insane and beyond reasoning with. "You're spouting insanity!"

"You don't understand," Kameyo whispered. "This was supposed to happen long ago but the chance was robbed. Now that it has happened, I won't let the chance to change our future go to waste."

"He's your grandson!" Fu said, desperately trying to reason with her. "He could change the world under your influence as a grandmother! You will lose Hikari forever if you do this!"

"A sacrifice that must be made," Kameyo said as she sighed. "One day she might understand. I can't take the chance that he might end up like whatever brother is his father. So, for now, I am done talking." Kameyo looked her in the eyes once more, this time pouring all of her authority into her gaze. "Please put him gently on the ground."

Fu had no control and she wondered if perhaps this is what Hikari felt like for the past three years with the curse controlling her. She slowly set Kuraiho down as she bent to Kameyo's will despite every fibre of her being wanting to cradle him to her body and run. She backed up then, taking a deep breath.

"Back up a little further," Kameyo instructed as she walked towards the child. "I don't want to accidentally possess you."

Fu did as she said and walked as far backwards as she could until she hit the wall of the cave. Kameyo seemed to have lost interest in her after that, which is exactly what Fu had been hoping for. She wished she could ignite the flame of her chakra, but didn't want to alert the Koizumi controlling her, so she waited. She would have to have reflexes like lightning and summon most of her chakra to her command at once.

"You won't suffer," Kameyo said quietly to Kuraiho as she closed her eyes.

Fu watched closely as the woman relaxed her body. Very slowly, something like speckled dust began to leak from Kameyo's chest and soon enough Fu could see the pure essence of her life. Fu felt her bonds break and she reacted as quickly as her body would allow. She summoned all of the chakra inside that she could muster and forced it out of her body, shaping it into three arms that slammed around Kameyo's spirit. She struggled to hold her there with her chakra and then began to weave handsigns.

A humanoid form began to separate from the mass of her expelled chakra and take shape. After a few moments, it solidified into a clone. Fu gasped as Kameyo began to absorb her chakra and pushed more out to compensate. She wasn't sure how long this was going to last, but she had no other options.

"Take the boy and run! I gave you enough chakra to use any jutsu you need to get away," Fu yelled as she closed her eyes. "Do it now!"

Her clone nodded and then ran to the boy, scooping him into her arms before running of the cavern. When she was gone, Fu did not let up in her struggle. She wanted to give herself enough time to get away because she realised that she would mostly likely die afterwards. She was just happy knowing that clone would exist until it ran out of chakra, which meant that she could warn Hikari to. She just hoped that it would hide Kuraiho where Kameyo would never think to look for him.

blockquote

**Chapter End Notes:**  
>Pleas bear with me. I know I suck. I know I haven't updated in forever. But I love my readers, you guys mean the world to me. A review would really lift my heart...I am scared I chased you all away with how long I have waited to update.<p> 


	102. The One Hundredth and Second Passage

**Author's Chapter Notes:**  
>Sooo, even thought I said I was going to try and update right after the manga ended, I needed some time to decide my direction. I also needed to get my university work done because it is that time of year that we're all scrambling around here. So, I apologise for the delay and without any further excuses, give you the awaited chapter.<p><strong><em>The One Hundredth and Second Passage:<em>**

Hikari sighed as she stared into the campfire her group had made. It had been so long since she had been on any kind of real mission; it had been the first time she had taken a watch since before she got pregnant. She quickly found that she didn't miss it. Hikari hated how the quiet forced her to think.

She spent several hours while she looked out for the sleeping camp thinking about Sasuke and if they really had anything in common anymore. She knew she loved him, she could feel it deep inside her chest, but she felt like she loved someone who had died. Hikari loved the boy who used to spar with her and play with her hair with a small smirk upon his lips, but she wasn't sure she really loved the man he had become.

She silently cursed Hoshi for her train of thought. If he hadn't have even brought up the idea of her just leaving Sasuke behind earlier in the day, she wouldn't be questioning herself. Now the darkness lingered in her mind, a cloud of doubt and regret weighing her down. What did she even really know about him?

Hikari knew he liked plain things without much colour. She knew he hated sweets, loved tomatoes, and couldn't care less for beef, but she felt like that was the extent of her knowledge. She didn't know anything important about him except for his desire for revenge and it bothered her. She felt like she was thinking about a stranger and yet he was the father of her child.

Hikari slowly came to the conclusion that she didn't know him anymore and she had let a stranger hurt her more than she gave him credit for. Could she really forgive him for not only the emotional abuse, but also the fact that he had almost killed her on several occasions? Itachi came into her mind; she had forgiven him. She had forgiven him for everything.

Suddenly and heart ached so badly that she gasped out as if she had been in pain. She missed him, missed him more than anyone else who had been close to her and lost their life. She wanted him next to her, she wanted him to hold her and she felt tears build in her eyes as she realised that she had given him up to love the hollow shell of a person she had once known.

How was it fair that she had lost _everything_ that had ever been important to her? Why was it that she felt like she was the only person constantly suffering? She was alone and she got the feeling that she would remain that way for as long as she lived.

Hikari held herself together as she quietly cried. She had no future left, no home, and no family. She just had Kuraiho and she didn't know how to be a parent; she didn't even really know how to take care of herself. She wasn't sure there was even enough left to take care of.

"I spent the last three years hating you."

She jerked her head up from her hands, her eyes surprised as she hastily wiped away the tears. Sora sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her as he pulled her into her chest. She was too shocked to pull away from him, but didn't want to refuse either; she needed someone.

"I never got why you left for him…never understood why I wasn't good enough," he said quietly, "but it wasn't that at all was it? You didn't feel like you were good enough to stay…"

Hikari continued to cry, refusing to answer. She didn't know what to say and didn't even know if he was right. All she knew is that the words he spoke made her feel like she was fraying.

"He abused you didn't he?" he asked, his tone straining a little.

She thought that maybe she had heard a little anger from somewhere deep inside his chest and she felt his fingers on her arm tighten in response. He wanted to protect her and she could not fathom why. She was the reason he was so broken, like Sasuke was the reason she was falling apart.

Hikari had to stop herself from jumping to Sasuke's defense. She wanted to tell him that the Uchiha she loved was just in a dark place and that he never meant any of it, but all she could vividly remember was his anger. She remembered the arguments and the way he slammed his fist crackling with a chidori into the wall next to her head. Sasuke had threatened to kill her more than once, but she didn't want to say he had abused her.

She told herself that she wasn't weak, but she felt it. She felt it everywhere, in her bones, flesh, and mind. She had never had the strength to leave him behind and she still didn't, even now that she was acknowledging how bad he was for her.

Sora sighed and just ran his fingers through her hair. She continued to cry into his chest, sobbing as she just let out everything she had pent up and he let her. He just let her cry and she thanked him for it.

"You don't have to go back to him," he said softly as he looked towards the fire that was burning. "You are not obligated to fix him. You don't owe him a damn thing, Hikari."

"I have nowhere else to go," she said through quiet sobs. "I just have him and Kuraiho. After all of this is done we might not even have a place we can live. I might be a criminal for the rest of my life."

"No you won't," Sora said confidently. "By now we all understand what happened to you. Sure you did some bad things, but you have also done good. I am sure the village will forgive you. Come back to Konoha, bring your son and stay with me and my brother."

He tightened his hold on her, trying to hold her together so she could have a little relief. He wanted to be the person Hoshi told him he could be so many years ago. Sora wanted to be the friend that would be there for her when she needed it. He still wanted to be a part of cell six.

"I know it is difficult, but in a year or maybe two you will look back on this and be happy," Sora whispered. "You will find someone who loves you and doesn't use you."

"But I love him," Hikari uttered as her voice strained weakly. She could barely manage to force the sentence out because while it was true, she felt so damaged.

"And sometimes love is not a good enough reason to stay," Sora said as he looked down into her eyes. "You need to start thinking about yourself and not him. Let him walk down his own damned path, but don't follow him. I can't watch you do this to yourself again Hikari…Midoriko would not want it."

Midoriko. Her friend, the only person who had ever truly cared about her was lost somewhere and it was because Hikari was so utterly focused on herself. They had grown and suffered together, but they couldn't be any farther apart than they were now. Hikari had a sinking feeling inside her gut that Midoriko was dead somewhere, lying in a trench and cold.

"I will think on it," Hikari said quietly as she pulled away from him. "But it is not as easy as just leaving. I care for him."

Sora nodded and watched her with worried eyes. "I know you do. You wouldn't be talking to me about this right now if you didn't. Get some sleep. I'll take over."

…

Hikari sighed as she rolled her shoulders and then stretched her arms out in front of her after a long and cold night on the hard ground. She watched Sora discreetly out of her peripheral vision as he spoke to his brother; she wasn't comfortable with her talk with him during the night. She had divulged her secrets to him during a moment of weakness and he even had her doubting how much she cared for Sasuke. She would not make the same mistake twice.

Hikari walked with brisk steps towards her former Sensei and then looked upon her face as she crossed her arms. "I'm ready to leave whenever you are."

Asami nodded and stood, motioning Sora and Hoshi to grab their things. She walked to the fire, kicking dirt into the coals to make sure no life could be breathed into them and then adjusted her own pack. When they were all ready, they climbed the trees and then set off again for the battle field.

Hikari sighed as she looked at them. She felt like they were expecting something from her, like they wanted her to announce that she was going to leave Sasuke. But she never would unless he pushed her away; she had promised him that she would stay by his side so long as there was room for her to stand next to him. Sasuke had been getting better and she knew that they would pull through whatever darkness he was facing; he had told her before he left that he was going to fight for Konoha and it was good enough reason for her to stay.

…

"How much further?" Hikari asked as she looked around the clearing her team rested in.

"Another half a day or so," Sora answered with a shrug.

Hikari looked towards Asami with a raised brow and she nodded, confirming what he had already told her. She wasn't sure why she distrusted the simple things Sora said to her, but she did. After a moment of thinking she realised it was because she didn't want him to think they were on good terms; she didn't want him to read into what had happened the night before.

Hikari decided to finally take a seat on a nearby stone, folding her arms and just accepting that they were going to rest for a while longer. She felt the longing to push forwards inside her gut, but she ignored it. She knew somewhere inside that something had happened to Midoriko. The faster she got to the battlefield, the faster she would learn the truth and then she could add one more person to the list of the dead she had to mourn.

"You look troubled," Asami observed as she looked at her ex-student's face.

"My closest friend is missing," Hikari said lowly as she continued to stare into the forest.

"Right," Asami said as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Look, Hikari, if you need a place to stay-"

"Stop!" Hikari shouted, looking down at Asami with livid eyes. "Just stop questioning and harassing me and give me a little peace and quiet! I would have never come with you if I knew this entire mission was just a smoke screen to try and get me to come back with you. Do you even care about Midoriko? Because I do."

Asami let out the breath she had been holding and then looked away from Hikari. "I do care about Midoriko, but right now two of my students are lost and I want to help them both."

"I am not lost!" Hikari shouted as she balled her hands into fists. "I have known what my purpose is since the moment I set foot in Konoha! I have never been astray or unsure since then."

"You really need to stop deluding yourself," Sora said with a short sigh.

"I am not having this conversation again," Hikari said as her tone began to become colder. "I will do this on my own if I have to."

"Look," Hoshi said as he stood up and put his hands out as if he meant no harm. "The worst thing we could do right now is split up." He looked towards Hikari and smiled as he shook his head. "I know you're independent and strong, but you have to admit you need us as much as we need you when it comes to tracking her down. Stop being stubborn and we will lay off."

Hikari balled her fists tightly once again, feeling her anger swell inside her chest. She didn't know what she could yell that she already hadn't, but she was sure she could do this on her own. She could walk away right now and just end the troublesome situation she had put herself into.

Before she could act on her thoughts, Hoshi jerked a kunai from his holster and turned towards the way they had come from. Hikari sensed it then too, two chakras near them and getting closer at a fast pace. Soon enough the entire camp was on their feet, anticipation lingering in their eyes as they watched the thicket intensely.

"Don't attack!" a gruff voice yelled as a man showed himself.

"Kin?" Hikari asked with disbelief. "How did you find us?"

"You know him?" Sora asked as he peered at the burly Koizumi-man.

"Yeah," Hikari said as she put away the weapon she had grabbed. "He helped me escape the Akatsuki."

Kin bent over and held his knees, sucking air into his lungs as he tried to catch his breath. "Hikari…it's Fu…she's dead."

blockquote

**Chapter End Notes:**  
>So I have ideas for the end. I <em>know<em> what I am doing. Now all I ask for is time. I had an emotional and mental breakdown because of the stress of school and I am years behind in my work. It's going to take up pretty much all of my break. I will work on the new chapter whenever I can, but it might be closer to the end of January by the time I get to post it.


End file.
